Administrators & Staff

Judith Stein, EdD, Executive Director

Dr. Judith S. Stein is the former Executive Director of the Division of Magnet/Innovative Programs for The Miami-Dade County Public Schools. From 1989-1995, she was the author of two successful MSAP grants, 1991-1993 and 1995-1998, which provided over $18 million in grant funds for the fourth largest in the nation. Dr. Stein was also the Director of Career Education, and a national leader in the career education movement. She served as President for the American Association for Career Education, a policy board member of the American Vocational Association, Guidance Division, and the Executive Chairperson of the International Collaborative Conference on Careers, held in Miami in March 1986.

Dr. Stein served as the President of the state organization for Magnet Schools/Program, 1991-1992, Consortium of Magnets/Public Choice Schools (COM/PCS), where she was founding President of that organization.

In May of 1992, Dr. Stein was nominated to serve as Interim President of Magnet Schools of America, Inc. (MSA), the national organization for magnet schools and programs. Dr. Stein served as first President of MSA from May 1993 to May 1994, representing all parts of the United States and over 3,000 magnet programs and schools. Dr. Stein was educated at Smith College at Northampton, Massachusetts where she received a Bachelors of Arts Degree. She received her Master’s Degree from Trenton State Teachers College in English Education, and her Doctorate in Legal Education from the University of Miami in 1972.

Dr. Stein has been a school level administrator, having worked at American Senior High School during 1978-1980 as an Assistant Principal for Guidance and Curriculum. Dr. Stein served as the Operation Executive of the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) for the grass roots organization of career academies nationally from 2003 - 2007. She now serves on the NCAC board of directors.  She is on the National Advisory Board for the Boy Scouts of America / Exploring, and served as President of the Florida Career Development Association, a division of the Florida Association for Counseling and Development.

In 1998, she was appointed Director of the National Institute for Educational Options (NIEO) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in North Miami Beach, Florida. She leads this Institute at the Fischler School of Education and Human Services (FSEHS), one of the largest private, non-profit graduate education universities in distance learning providing resources and professional development for magnet schools, charter schools, independent schools, and theme/career academies.

Dr. Stein has received numerous awards including the following: Outstanding Career Guidance Professional of 1989 from the Guidance Division of the American Vocational Association; Buddy McKay Guidance Award from Occupational Specialist and Guidance Association, September 1988, State of Florida; State Award for National and State Leadership in Career Education from the Florida Department of Education; and National Vocational Guidance Association Merit Award in 1984.

For more information see: Dr. Stein's Bio

Nigel Whyte, M.B.A., Assistant Director - NIEO

Mr. Nigel Whyte is the Assistant Director for the National Institute for Educational Options (NIEO). He is a graduate of Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia. He has a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University.

Mr. Whyte has worked with the NIEO and Dr. Judith Stein since 2000 to develop, nurture and grow successful not-for profits and acquire grants that will strategically fulfill its mission of K12 school reform through school choice and parental involvement. He is responsible for the day-to-day management and operations of NIEO and its various grants including staffing and operational responsibilities of the Voluntary Public School Choice grant and its Parent Resource Centers throughout the state of Florida. Mr. Whyte also manages the business office of the Florida Public School Choice Consortium, housed at the Fischler School of Education and Human Services campus.

Marjorie Joseph, NIEO Administrative Assistant

Ms. Marjorie Joseph is the Administrative Assistant for the National Institute for Educational Options (NIEO). She is a graduate of the University of Phoenix and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. She currently attends NSU and is pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration at our Miramar Student Educational Center. Marjorie assists the Assistant Director of (NIEO) with day-to-day operations and coordination of its events. Additionally, she currently mentors teenage girls in the community with the Big Brother Big Sister foundation.

David B. Ross, EdD - Program Professor, NSU FSE Parent Academy

Dr. David B. Ross, Lead Faculty for the Doctoral Minor in Charter School Education and Leadership, has many years of experience in higher education administration, curriculum development, and classroom instruction. In his present roles as Program Professor at Nova Southeastern University – Fischler School of Education and Human Services, he teaches both undergraduate and graduate students in the field of education and leadership, oversees the online course development and delivery of the Parent Academy Program, and is Lead Faculty for the Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Charter School Education/Leadership. Dr. Ross has also been instrumental in the development of the doctoral minor in Charter School Education and Leadership. The new minor will meet the needs of leaders and corporations who are pursuing an emerging alternative to traditional public education.

At Palm Beach Community College he launched alternative teacher certification programs to help meet the state’s critical teacher shortage. He also provided extensive instructional design support to the program. His academic experience has included responsibilities as an adjunct professor of undergraduate and graduate courses in education and social sciences at Palm Beach Community College, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Metropolitan University, and Nova Southeastern University.  He taught mathematics at the secondary level for The School District of Palm Beach County. Dr. Ross earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Specialist in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Adult Education, and a Master of Justice Policy Management with a Professional Certificate in Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science at Northern Illinois University. He also is frequently asked to speak at leadership and team building seminars across the country.

Dr. Ross is the current Southern Provincial Vice President and past Professional Development Chair (curriculum development) for Delta Sigma Pi, a Professional Business Fraternity with over 215,000 active members of 191 chapters.  Delta Sigma Pi is America’s foremost professional fraternity for men and women pursuing careers in business.  The fraternity, which is celebrating its 100 years, is mainly supported by volunteer leadership.  Dr. Ross, who has been dedicated to his fraternity for over twenty-seven years, has been elected to the Board of Directors as the Southern Provincial Vice President.  He is responsible for the leadership, training, and discipline of 38 collegiate chapters and 12 alumni chapters within six regions covering the following states: Florida, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Dr. Ross who sits on the Board of Directors for the fraternity has the following duties:

• Provide periodic updates on the status of national and provincial programs and activities
• Oversee and administer the Provincial funds
• Determine the organization’s mission and purpose
• Ensure effective organizational planning
• Enhance the organization’s public image
• Serve as a court of appeal
• To be responsible for the actions of the Regional Vice Presidents within their provinces
• To oversee the efforts within their provinces to achieve national priorities, directives, goals and objectives
• To appoint the chairs and members of provincial standing and special task committees, in accordance with these bylaws and the Laws and policies of the Fraternity, and monitor their performance
• To appoint the members of the Provincial Discipline Committee with the approval of the Provincial Council. The Provincial Vice Presidents shall have such further powers

Lois Lee, Professional Development Coordinator

Lois Lee, Professional Development Coordinator, has had an outstanding career as teacher, Saturn School Coordinator, Educational Specialist in Advanced Academic Programs Specialist, Administrative Assistant to a member of the School Board, and administrator in Miami-Dade County Public Schools office of School Choice and Parental Options.

Mrs. Lee has assisted schools to develop and implement research-based K-12 instructional initiatives; prepared proposals for federal grant funding to support innovative educational program designs and themed-based school models. She has served on grant writing teams that have that have written winning proposal resulting in more than fifty million dollars coming to the Miami-Dade School District to design and develop magnet/choice school programs.

In her role as District Director of Schools of Choice, much of her work focused on facilitating workshops, seminars, institutes, conferences, and  professional learning communities facilitative leadership critical friends groups. She has also presented at national, regional, and state professional conferences, as well as many workshops and institutes.

Lois, has distinguished herself as a intuitive leader and has received accommodations including, 1st runner-up for Miami-Dade County Public Schools District Teacher of the Year, President Bill Clinton’s Distinguished Community Leader, and the Dr. Carlo Rodriguez Champion for School Choice award acknowledging her contributions to the field of education.

Dr. H. Wells Singleton, Provost

Dr. Singleton is the Provost of Education for Nova Southeastern University's Fischler School of Education & Human Services.

For more information see: Fischler School of Education and Human Services website