AUTHOR VALERIE D. SWINTON

Valerie D. Swinton is an ordained deaconess at Voices of Faith Ministries in Stone Mountain, GA. She is a retired elementary school principal who provided 31 years of service in public education serving as an elementary school teacher, special education teacher, school counselor, assistant principal for instruction, and elementary principal. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and a minor in Early Childhood Education from Spelman College, a Master of Arts degree in Special Education and a minor in Learning Disabilities from Clark Atlanta University, and a Specialist in Education degree with a focus on Administration and Supervision from Georgia State University. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

In 2004, she was honored by the Georgia Department of Education for making the list of Outstanding Achievement Schools. The list honored the top thirty schools from across Georgia that had significantly increased student performance on state assessments. In 2007, Valerie received the Honorary Life Membership award presented by the Parent Teacher Association in Georgia from her students, parents, teachers, and the community for outstanding service to children and youth. In addition, she has been a national presenter and trainer at various education conferences throughout her career.