David Joseph Lavallee

David J. Lavallee was born in Putnam, Connecticut and grew up in nearby Plainfield. A true Swamp Yankee, he thought nothing of getting his first few bikes from the town dump; he just wished the banana seats were a little more forgiving. The first car he ever bought was an AMC Pacer which he regrets ever selling. He is a former classroom teacher having taught in elementary, middle, and high school settings. He currently enjoys working with a network of public high schools in New York City as a specialist and instructional coach. David earned his BA/BS in Special Education, Elementary Education, and Psychology from Marist College and then went on to pursue his MS in Environmental Education via a yellow school bus-based traveling program. He is excited to continue creating stories for underrepresented audiences.