#FacesOfCA: Dr. RaKeema Toussaint

Dr. RaKeema Toussaint, Ph.D., CDP? joined Curriculum Associates in 2020 as a Professional Development Specialist. After nearly two years in that role, supporting educators in classrooms around her home state of Louisana, Dr. Toussaint moved into a Program Manager, Service Enablement role. Prior to joining CA, RaKeema was a classroom educator and school administrator. She now uses her first-hand experience in the classroom to support other teachers in her role on our Educator Success team.

Read more from RaKeema about her role and time at CA:

Q: Tell us about your job and what a typical day in the life look like for you??

A: I am a Program Manager on the Educator Success team. I work with other teams to simplify and communicate technical information about our products and assessments. Most of my responsibilities include the development of educator materials as well as internal guidance for other educator-facing teams. A typical day in the life for me is engaging in discovery meetings to clarify assessment or product updates that impact educator or internal guidance. Other times, I write articles, update/create guidance materials, and serve as a reviewer to ensure educator- and field team-appropriateness.?

Q: What excited you or intrigued you about working for CA??

A: CA offered an opportunity to stay in education but with work-hour flexibility, exceptional benefits, and the ability to provide professional development support to educators across multiple regions. What excited me about CA was that I could take my experiences as a mathematics educator and school leader and apply it to supporting other educators as a PD Specialist and even now still as a Program Manager.?

Q: Has working at CA enriched your life - professionally or personally - in any way???

A: I have met some stellar people at CA! Most employees here lead with a people-first mentality, and that’s quite refreshing. With how we prioritize balance and growth (both professionally and personally), I believe I have been able to sharpen my skills as a communicator, educational researcher, consultant, and so much more.???

Although I don’t always use it, I know that if I need to take care of myself or my family, that time is available to meet those needs. Due to my flexible work schedule, I can always make up time for projects outside of regular work hours if needed.?

Q: What’s a project or professional accomplishment you’re particularly proud of???

A: One project that I am particularly proud of is Literacy Tasks Guides for English and Spanish. I supported the development and coordination of content creation, stakeholder reviews, and team meetings, as well as postings and revisions.??

Q: Is there a teammate or person at CA that you think more people should know about? Tell us about them!?

A: I talk about her often, but people should really know about Becky Bidwell-Hanson ; she is my manager and has been imperative to my success here at CA. She challenges our team to be our best selves and consider efficiency and impact in all we do! She is constantly seeking professional and personal growth opportunities for me and my teammates. She is the kind of leader who talks you up in a room when you are not present and ensures others know how great you are! Becky is absolutely amazing!??