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Tanisha Stanciel, Ed.D, Recognized by Influential Women, Principal of Maplewood-Richmond Heights ECC
Tanisha Stanciel, Ed.D., is a dedicated educational leader whose career reflects a deep commitment to equity, student success, and creating supportive learning environments where every child feels valued and capable of thriving. With 16 years of experience spanning special education, general education, student services, and school administration, Dr. Stanciel has built a reputation as a compassionate and resilient leader focused on empowering students, strengthening families, and supporting educators throughout the St. Louis community.
Currently serving as Principal of the Maplewood‑Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center, Dr. Stanciel is now in her fourth year of leadership at the school. Her educational journey began in 2011 after earning a degree in Public Relations from Missouri Western State University. While working as a paraprofessional in an alternative education center, she discovered a passion for helping students facing significant academic and behavioral challenges, an experience that inspired her to pursue a master’s degree and certification in special education.
That decision marked the beginning of a career dedicated to advocating for students and building systems of support that create meaningful educational opportunities for children and families. Over the years, Dr. Stanciel has served in a variety of leadership and instructional roles, including special education teacher, special education process coordinator, director of student services, assistant principal, and principal across both charter schools and traditional public school districts.
One of the defining accomplishments of her career came during her time at Arch Community School, where she worked alongside her team to dramatically improve academic outcomes for students. Under their leadership, student literacy rates increased from 10 percent to 60 percent, while the school also achieved top-20 statewide growth rankings in mathematics. These results reflected Dr. Stanciel’s belief that with the right support systems, high expectations, and collaborative school culture, students can achieve outcomes that many once believed impossible.
Her leadership philosophy centers on relationship-building, collaboration, proactive intervention, and ensuring every student and family feels a genuine sense of belonging. Deeply invested in early childhood education, Dr. Stanciel believes that strong intervention and support during a child’s earliest years can significantly influence long-term academic, emotional, and social success.
In 2025, Dr. Stanciel earned her Doctor of Education degree, focusing her research on the home-to-prison pipeline and the critical role family engagement plays in improving student outcomes. She also holds an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in K–12 administration as well as superintendent certification, further strengthening her expertise in educational leadership and systems-level change.
Dr. Stanciel attributes much of her success to the mentors, collaborative school teams, supportive friends and colleagues, and the strong “village” she has built throughout her life and career. She believes those support systems, combined with persistence and resilience, have been essential to both her personal growth and professional achievements.
Among the mentors who significantly shaped her journey are Dr. Jana Schaefer Starwalt, Bill Schiller, Dr. Lisa Small, and her current superintendent, Dr. Bonita Jamison. In particular, Dr. Schaefer Starwalt’s encouragement to pursue administrative certification and eventually a doctorate became a transformative turning point that helped shape Dr. Stanciel’s leadership path and confidence as an educational leader.
Today, Dr. Stanciel encourages young women entering education and leadership positions to proactively pursue the experiences and credentials necessary for growth rather than becoming discouraged when opportunities feel out of reach. She believes setbacks should be viewed as motivation to continue learning and developing professionally. She also strongly emphasizes the importance of building a personal and professional “village” of mentors, advocates, and supporters who encourage growth and provide guidance throughout one’s journey.
According to Dr. Stanciel, some of the biggest challenges facing education today involve the instability and high levels of need often present within urban and charter school environments. She points to issues such as school closures despite academic gains, inequitable systems, and the societal factors that can contribute to punitive outcomes for students rather than supportive interventions.
At the same time, she sees tremendous opportunity in strengthening family engagement, expanding early intervention efforts, and creating support systems that address challenges before academic and behavioral gaps widen. She believes stronger partnerships between schools, families, and communities are essential to improving long-term outcomes for children.
The values that guide Dr. Stanciel both professionally and personally are resilience, authenticity, service to the community, and ensuring every child feels supported and valued. Central to her philosophy is the belief that if every child has even one person in their “village” who genuinely cares about their educational journey, they are significantly more likely to succeed. That belief became a foundational component of her doctoral research and continues to shape her work every day.
She is especially passionate about creating school environments where students facing adversity feel safe, respected, and empowered to accomplish what others may believe is impossible. Beyond her work in education, authenticity and representation also play important roles in her personal life. Living with alopecia areata, Dr. Stanciel embraces her natural self and hopes to inspire others to confidently overcome obstacles while remaining true to who they are.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Dr. Stanciel deeply values family, community, cooking, travel, and supporting her son through his senior year. She draws strength from the village she has built around herself and remains committed to using her experiences to encourage and uplift others facing personal or professional challenges.
Through her leadership, advocacy, and unwavering dedication to children and families, Dr. Tanisha Stanciel continues to make a lasting impact by helping create schools and communities where every child feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Learn More about Tanisha Stanciel:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/Tanisha-Stanciel
Influential Women
Influential Women provides a platform where women from all backgrounds can connect, share their perspectives, and create content that empowers themselves and others. Through storytelling, thought leadership, and creative expression, Influential Women amplifies voices that inspire change.
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Influential Women
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