My name is David Schmidt-Jimenez.

I am a late-diagnosed autistic Cuban-American teacher.

I struggled tremendously with grades and behavior in grade school.

I barely passed high school.

My undergraduate degree in Spanish and Latinx Studies at Towson University took me a total of 7 years to complete, but I graduated Cum Laude!

I served in the Peace Corps, Nicaragua for 3 years, co-teaching and training teachers across the country with NICATESOL.

I’ve been teaching in Baltimore City Public Schools for 7 years.

Since returning to Baltimore, I have led professional learning for MDTESOL, Baltimore City Public Schools, Teach for America, and the Maryland State Department of Education.

Now, I’m on a mission to make public education better for all students by supporting professional learning and policies to ensure that schools and teachers are supporting autonomy, belonging, and competence consistently.

Recognizing that changing public schools is slow and human needs are immediate, I also want to support alternatives to public education for families who opt out when public schools fail to meet their needs!