YVONNE D. COATES, PHD

Dr. Yvonne D. Coates was born and raised in Washington, D.C. In the 6th grade at Bryan Elementary School, she decided that she wanted to do two things in life: become a teacher and travel to all the places in her geography book. Dr. Coates has over forty-five years in the field of education. She has spent most of her professional life with the District of Columbia Public School (DCPS) as a teacher, assistant principal, workshop presenter, Assistant Director, PAUSE (an alternative school program); Assistant Director, Instructional Recruitment and Orientation Branch; and Director, Educational Credentialing and Standards Branch.

After her retirement from the school system, Dr. Coates has continued to work in the educational arena. She served for three years as the D.C. State Coordinator with the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Mid-Atlantic connecting educational stakeholders with research and technical support. She was also employed as an instructor with the Paxen Learning Corporation (About Face!) where she taught in an after-school program focusing on life skills for middle and high school students. She is currently a University Faculty Supervisor at American University providing instructional and classroom management support for teacher candidates.

Dr. Coates received a Ph.D. in Educational Policy from American University; an M.A in Education and Human Development (Educational Supervision) from George Washington University; a B.A. in English Education from the University of Maryland; and an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Immaculata Junior College.

While her first passion lies in education and serving others, her second one involves traveling. In her youthful years Dr. Coates had the opportunity to backpack/camp from Washington, D.C. to the Florida Keys and to journey solo across country on a Greyhound Bus. Now cruising has become her favorite mode of discovering those places in that 6th grade geography book. With over thirty cruises she has traveled to Asia, Europe, South America, the Falkland Islands, the Panama Canal, Antarctica, Mexico, and the Caribbean. In 2019 her excursion aboard the Princess Sapphire was a 30-day grand adventure from Rome to Singapore transiting the Suez Canal.

Community outreach is important to Dr. Coates. She serves as Vice Chair, Board of Trustees and Chair of the Scholarship Committee at Peace Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. She remains connected with several former students providing support as they continue to adjust to the demands of adulthood.

Dr. Coates’ hobbies include teaching, traveling, bowling, writing, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Fitness is also important as she participates in POTM (Peace on the Move) classes with her church and walking in 5k events (‘chasing medals’). This memoir is a collection of reflections and experiences as a part of her journey.