Hello,
a bit about me:
It is my belief that my experience will be an asset to any school or agency. As a special education professional, I understand the laws at hand and what must be carried out during Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings and within the classroom. I have practiced education in many environments including traditional brick and mortar (public and charter), alternative, partial hospital, and cyber. Each have a unique flavor and require different levels of understanding how services are carried out. Furthermore, each educational setting has its own culture which means education looks different in each.
I have had the privilege to be a school leader while working on my second master’s degree. I served as the Special Education Coordinator at a small brick and mortar charter school at its inception. I was able to build the special education department and develop a team of professionals who were dedicated to the students and families we served while ensuring all federal mandates were followed for compliance. During my time at the school, I was the lead for the first audit, which revealed only two areas of need.
In some positions I have had the opportunity to work with families in a different role that allowed me to advocate their needs and ensure correct placement through understanding individual needs, rapport with both the student and his/her family, and testing that pinpointed current levels. I worked with the school and their guidance counselors and relayed information to the new teachers about the student. I have also been fortunate to be at the foundation of creating school-based groups for students. These groups focused on social skills in two different capacities - students with autism and middle school girls.