Four Pillars to Guide Visionary Educators: Structuring Schools That Serve Students in Poverty Paperback -

Washington "Nino" Collado, PhD, was born in the Dominican Republic in 1962 in a small town called Jnico and was raised surrounded by educators. His mother, Mara Tejada, and seven of his uncles and aunts were teachers. After the death of his mother in 1970, Dr. Collado and his three sisters traveled to the United States to live with their father in 1975. In New York, he started his studies in New York City Public Schools in the seventh grade and went on to Franklin K. Lane High School in Brooklyn, New York.

In 1986 he taught Spanish and English as a second language in New York City Public Schools. In 1992, he and his family moved to South Florida. While working in Broward County Public Schools' Multicultural Department, he developed curriculum and conducted trainings for teachers and administrators on multicultural education and community engagement.

He became an assistant principal at Broward County Public Schools and was promoted to principal in 2005. Collectively, he has served fifteen years as principal at Lyons Creek Middle School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and, presently, James S. Rickards Middle School. He also served as president of the Broward Principals' and Assistants' Association (BPAA).

Throughout his career, Dr. Collado has devoted much of his time to teaching and orienting school leaders and educators. He has travelled to various countries and over twenty states in the U.S. as a motivational speaker on matters of school leadership and family engagement. He has also served as a panelist at CNN en Espaol, Telemundo, Univision, and others. He has written over one hundred articles for newspapers and magazines in New York and Florida, including the Miami Herald, and has published the following three books: Parents, Don't Forget Your Homework; Padres, No Olviden su Tarea; and Liderazgo y Escuelas Efectivas.