Jay B. Marks, Ph.D., has been an educator since 1991. He began his career as a Special Education teacher with the Detroit Public School System in Michigan. In 1998, he made a professional decision to leave Detroit Public Schools for Southfield Public Schools where he served as a teacher and co-department chair in the Special Education Department. Dr. Marks is currently the LRE Consultant (Least Restrictive Environment) at Southfield High School where he serves as the liaison between special education and general education teachers who are co-teaching in an inclusive classroom. He is also an adjunct professor at Concordia University, where he teaches graduate students in the College of Education.
Dr. Marks is passionate about teaching and learning, particularly as it relates to the education of African American males. His professional interest include; African-centered education, the achievement gap, differentiated instruction, effective co-teaching and inclusion models for special needs students, learning style differences, and effective education for urban youth (particularly African American students). He is also passionate about male mentoring and its impact on the academic performance of African American male students. Dr. Marks is the founder of several mentoring programs in the Metropolitan Detroit Area. He has been mentoring male youth since 1989.
Dr. Marks received his Bachelor of Science degree from Western Michigan University in 1990, where he studied Occupational Therapy. In 1995, he earned his Masters of Arts degree in Special Education with a double-major in Learning Disabilities and Emotional Impairments from the University of Detroit Mercy. As a graduate student, Dr. Marks completed a practicum in the Mental Health Unit of the Wayne County Youth Home School where he taught incarcerated male youth. In addition, he received a teaching certificate in Social Sciences. Dr. Marks earned an Education Specialist Certificate in Education Administration and Supervision in 1997, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 2005, both from Wayne State University. His most cherished accomplishment is the birth of the two joys of his life, his daughters Amari and Jalia.
Dr. Marks feels extremely proud, humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve as a mentor with the NUA. Working with the NUA helps to fulfill one of his life’s purpose which is to ensure that all children have access to a quality, effective, and challenging education that has meaning and relevance to their lives.
Jay B. Marks, Ph.D.
jaybmarks@yahoo.com