Douglas has worked in the field of education as a teacher, administrator, staff development trainer and consultant since 1977. He has worked as an advocate for world class public education with a special emphasis on special needs learners. Early in his career he wrote and produced a documentary for PBS which presented the challenges and opportunities working with deaf-blind special needs children. As a student of W.Edward Deming, Douglas became a strong supporter of the tools for continuous quality improvement as applied in an educational setting.

He has served as a Member of the Board of Examiners for the Texas Quality Award and was the founding Executive Director of an educational foundation in Texas. As an administrator for the Nebraska Department of Education, he coordinated the Nebraska School for Deaf and Visually Handicapped and worked with the Boys Town Institute on numerous projects. In returning to his passion for teaching, Douglas currently serves as a classroom teacher and Department Chairperson for Special Education in Texas. His current research and applied interests are in the systemic reform of public education and supporting the concept of the Teacher as the critical component of effective education for children.