We would like to give a very warm welcome to our new Secretary, Shirley Valladares! We are happy to have you on our team!
Shirley Valladares
Shirley Valladares is from the suburbs of Chicago and is currently living in Chicago, Illinois. She is a special education teacher for students with low incidence disabilities in Chicago Public Schools. Having a sister with Down syndrome led to her passion for advocating and has a large impact on her life and goals.
Her personal experiences and relationship with her younger sister with Down syndrome led to her studying and graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s in Special Education and her master’s degree in Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. During college she worked with children with disabilities at special recreation centers and was a caregiver. As a teacher she has worked as an advocate for parents and families of children with disabilities, especially for those in diverse communities. She is now pursuing her Director of Special Education Endorsement at Loyola University Chicago, with goals to have more influence when advocating for families with children with disabilities.
Shirley has been a part of the Supporting Illinois Brothers & Sisters (S.I.B.S) leadership team, the Illinois chapter of the Sibling Leadership Network (SLN). Through her experiences she has seen the value of connecting with other siblings of individuals with disabilities. She is excited to support all siblings of those with disabilities through SLN and S.I.B.S.
Find out more on our WHO WE ARE page.
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