MDUSD's Felicia Stuckey-Smith named Regional Student Services Director of the Year!

Dr. Felicia Stuckey-Smith: Champion for Equity and Student Success
By Rosie Reid, MDUSD Program Specialist

Dr. Felicia Stuckey-Smith is a transformative educational leader whose 40+ years of service – 27 in MDUSD – reflect an unwavering commitment to equity, inclusion, and student-centered education. With a unique blend of legal acumen and profound educational expertise, Dr. Stuckey-Smith has held a wide range of impactful roles in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. She taught both middle school core (English/Social Studies) and high school English before serving as a district alternative education administrator, elementary principal, secondary classroom and mentor teacher, Gifted and Talented Education Coordinator, and Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Coordinator. 

As the Director of Student Services for MDUSD since 2010, Dr. Stuckey-Smith has been responsible for the safety and well-being of hundreds of thousands of economically and ethnically diverse students. Her contributions to equitable education have not gone unrecognized. Dr. Stuckey-Smith was named the Association of California School Administrators ACSA Region 6 (East Bay) Student Services Administrator of the Year in 2014, and she has received this honor again for 2025. This prestigious award recognizes her outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to student support and well-being. 

She also received the Black Excellence District Administrator of the Year award in 2023 and serves as Co-Chair of the California Association of Pupil Personnel Administrators (CAPPA), demonstrating her continued leadership at the state level.

Her leadership encompasses critical areas of student success and wellness, including attendance, enrollment, discipline, healthcare services, Section 504, Home and Hospital instruction, counseling services, and support for foster and unhoused youth. Dr. Stuckey-Smith has led transformative initiatives that address disproportionality and systemic racism in education. She facilitated the district’s Equity Advisory Team, which developed comprehensive Board Policies on Equity and Disproportionality. She chaired the district’s Anti-Bias, Anti-Racism (ABAR) Advisory Committee, which worked to identify and dismantle systemic racism within district policies and practices. Under her leadership, the ABAR committee provided actionable guidance to the school Board, helping the district implement meaningful reforms that foster equity and inclusivity across all school communities. She also directed the District Positive Behavior Team, which supported students with chronic behavioral challenges and worked to prevent expulsions. As chair of the district-wide discipline team, she led the creation of a Behavior Matrix that integrates legal mandates, educational policy, and a commitment to fair and equitable discipline practices. Another major accomplishment was her work in creating a Counseling-Enriched Program (CEP) at Sun Terrace Elementary School in 2007, which provides a therapeutic approach to serving students who have not had success in mainstream classrooms. Her strong commitment to student wellness also led her to expand the number of Wellness Centers in MDUSD from two to seven and to strengthen implementation of wellness supports.
 
Her influence extends beyond MDUSD through her active role on the ACSA Student Services and Special Education Council and the Every Child Counts Symposium planning committees. She is a sought-after presenter for ACSA’s Special Education, Principal, and Pupil Services Academies, where she inspires current and future administrators with her knowledge, insight, and passion for equity.

Dr. Stuckey-Smith is more than an administrator—she is a changemaker. Her work continues to guide school districts in creating equitable systems that reduce suspensions, address disproportionality, and foster success for all students. Dr. Stuckey-Smith will retire in June 2025, leaving behind a brighter, more inclusive future for MDUSD and schools across California. She will be greatly missed for her thoughtful and innovative approaches to student support, her strong commitment to social justice, and her tireless advocacy for all students.

Congratulations also to the other MDUSD Diablo Managers Association (DMA) nominees for ACSA Region 6 Awards:
Elementary Administrator: Dr. Tamekia McCauley, Principal of Bel Air Elementary in Bay Point
Continuation/Educational Options Administrator: Courtney Lyon, Principal of Olympic High School in Concord
Central Office Administrator: Erin De Martini, Director of Elementary Education 
The complete list of ACSA Region 6 nominees and winners is here.