ABOUT
The full story — three decades, one ongoing mission.
Educator. Principal. Equity advocate, Founder of EnlightenED Bridges, LLC.
Dr. Deborah Darbonne
Biography
Dr. Deborah Darbonne is a veteran educator, school principal, equity advocate, and founder of EnlightenED Bridges, LLC. With more than 30 years in education and over 20 years as a school principal, her career has traced the full arc of public education — from classroom teacher in special education to higher education adjunct faculty to her current role as an elementary school principal in Miami-Dade County.
She holds an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida, with a doctoral focus on equity, critical inquiry, and the social, cultural, and political contexts that shape educational practice. She earned her M.S. in Special Education from the University of Miami and her B.S. in Special Education from Florida International University. Dr. Darbonne has served as adjunct faculty at Miami Dade College and Barry University, and currently serves concurrently as a Faculty Evaluator at Western Governors University’s School of Education.
Throughout her career, she has been recognized for building school communities that are simultaneously structured and compassionate, for mentoring colleagues into leadership roles, and for refusing to accept that any child’s zip code should determine their educational future. She is based in Miami, Florida.
CAREER ARC
From the classroom to school leadership to higher education.
Current — School Principal, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Current — Faculty Evaluator, Western Governors University School of Education
Current — Founder & Principal Consultant, EnlightenED Bridges, LLC
Prior — Adjunct Faculty, Miami Dade College, Miami, Florida
Prior — Adjunct Faculty, Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida
Prior — Assistant Principal, Miami Dade County Public Schools
Began — Special Education Classroom Teacher, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
EDUCATION
Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction —University of Florida
M.S., Special Education —University of Miami
B.S., Special Education — Florida International University
Doctoral focus on equity, critical inquiry, and the social, cultural, and political contexts of education.
WHAT SHE HOLDS TRUE
Compassion. Meeting people — students, staff, families — where they are, not where convenience would prefer them to be.
Authenticity. Direct, honest, and unwilling to perform around hard truths.
Resilience. School leadership is long, hard work. She is built for the long.
Equity as practice, not a slogan. Every decision is examined through the lens of who it serves and who it might unintentionally fail.
Servant leadership. The work is in service of students, staff, and community — always in that direction.
Generosity and mentorship. Pulling others up is not optional. It is the work.