Special Education Faculty
iivins@aldergse.edu

Pronouns: she/her

Ilene Fernandez Ivins started her career in education as a Special Education Teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District at Fairfax High School. After moving to the Bay Area and teaching in San Lorenzo High and at Envision Schools, she became a Program Specialist and then a Special Education Director at Aspire Public Schools in Los Angeles. She cotaught across many disciplines—from Physics to English—and chaired hundreds of IEP meetings. A strong believer in inclusion and family partnerships, her two current research studies investigate how recent residency graduates navigate inclusive practices at their school sites and the experiences of families in virtual IEP meetings during school closures. She cofacilitates the AAPI affinity group at Alder.

She holds a BA from Vassar College in English, an MA in Special Education from San Francisco State, and an EdD from University of Southern California.

She currently lives in her native Los Angeles with her family and enjoys reading, writing, following pop culture, and spending time with her two daughters, husband, and dog.