Hanifah Ross is an experienced bilingual educator with twenty-five years of serving Illinois's economically disadvantaged students and families. Currently, Hanifah serves in the role of IEA’s Instructional Resource and Professional Development Director. She holds an Illinois State teaching certificate in English and Spanish, an Illinois General Administrative certificate. She also has over 25 years of educational experience serving as a classroom teacher, Dean of Students, and program coordinator. Hanifah specializes in program development, creating restorative practice-infused programs and professional development focused on improving the attendance, behavior and academic performance of at-risk of not graduating high school students. In summary, Hanifah can be described as a visionary, educator and a humanitarian.