Kent ISD — For Toni Moore, stepping into her new role as director of center programs at Kent ISD “feels like coming home,” she said, “but to a renovated house.”
Moore was principal of the Kent Vocational Program and Pine Grove when Grand Rapids Public Schools operated center programs.
“There’s certainly been multiple changes with the center programs,” she said, “and a lot of work put in to advance and enhance programming.”
Moore said she has remained close to the work even after stepping away, continuing to support and celebrate students who attended center-based programs.
“The students, the staff, and the work of center programming energizes me,” she said. “The opportunity to rejoin center programming became more enticing and, like, tailor-made for me. ”
In her new position, Moore oversees five center-based programs: Lincoln School, Lincoln Developmental Center, Pine Grove, Kent Education Center Oakleigh and Kent Education Center Beltline.
Kirsten Meyers, Kent ISD assistant superintendent of student services, said Moore was selected because of her past experience as director of special education for both Kentwood and Grand Rapids Public Schools.
“In both districts, she led initiatives that resulted in improved outcomes for students with disabilities and championed support systems for students with the most complex needs,” Meyers said. “Her leadership brings valuable experience, a deep understanding of center-based programming, and a strong vision for excellence.”
Finding the Right Path
Moore graduated from Rowan University in New Jersey with a degree in health and physical education, initially planning to pursue physical therapy before realizing it wasn’t the right fit.
After marrying Greg Moore, currently a Kentwood Public Schools teacher, the couple moved to Philadelphia, where she worked at an adoption agency and briefly considered further study in that field.
When Moore’s husband applied for his current position, she said she saw the move as a chance to pursue teaching — a path others had long encouraged her to take.
“I remember back when I was in second grade … my teacher said to me, ‘Toni, you are gonna make the best teacher one day.’ I was like, ‘I never wanted to be a teacher,’ and then throughout my whole educational experience in college years, everyone always assumed and thought that I was a teaching major.”
After relocating to West Michigan, she worked as a paraprofessional at Grand Rapids Public Schools while earning her teaching certificate and a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University, with endorsements in emotional and cognitive impairments. She also received a master’s in educational leadership from Western Michigan University.
Moore said she was just drawn to the special education field.
“I like to help people, and I had always worked in the area of special ed in doing service,” she said.
While at Rowan University, Moore became a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and participated in service projects that included working at a local elementary school, where she supported its special education program.
Moore’s younger sister is on the autism spectrum, and she said growing up with a sibling with special needs also gave her a deeper awareness and understanding of that population and their unique needs.
Moore spent more than 20 years with Grand Rapids Public Schools, serving in roles from paraprofessional to principal. When Kent ISD took over center programs in 2017, she did not work directly with the center programs as she was the district’s director of accountability for special education and later became executive director of special education.
She said she had no intention of ever leaving that role. But as she sought balance in her life, an opportunity opened in Kentwood to be the district’s director of special education.
Moore said the move to Kent ISD was a similar mix of timing and opportunity, adding that she recognized the work, enjoyed it and decided to “take advantage of an opportunity and see where it goes.”
Continuing to Build a Successful Program
Even though she knows many team members, Moore has spent her first couple of months visiting facilities and building relationships with staff and students.
“What do you do?” Makenzie Greer, a student at Lincoln Developmental Center, recently asked Moore.
“I work with staff and make sure they have the best tools to help you succeed,” Moore told her.
Center programs serve students with the most complex disabilities that require the highest support needs, she explained later, adding that usually those are students whose needs cannot be met in a traditional local school setting.
A more recent key focus in special education is developing the least restrictive environment for students. LRE, which is part of the 1975 federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is the idea that students with disabilities should learn alongside their non-disabled peers as much as possible.
“Throughout my career, center-based programs have been a key part of the continuum of services across Kent County, and there will always be a need for them,” Moore said. “But we also recognize that LRE includes being close to home and part of a student’s local community.”
Another area of focus is providing professional learning opportunities to staff so they can better support students, Moore said. This has included utilizing the Ukeru Systems, a restraintant-free program used to de-escalate situations, she said.
“There are ongoing challenges to advancing center programming in a way that ensures high-quality education, with a strong focus on empowering students to reach their full potential and be well positioned for a fulfilling and successful life,” Moore said.
Read more from Kent ISD:
• Multiracial Black Student Alliance celebrates ‘spreading culture and diversity’
• Oral Deaf Program marks 125-year legacy of support & success
