The State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project (SPP-TAP) Technical Assistance (TA) Facilitators have been selected through a Request for Application (RFA) process and vetted by the California Department of Education (CDE). They are provided with ongoing updates through the SPP-TAP on the most recent requirements from the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the CDE and the implications for significant disproportionality. This cadre is provided ongoing support by the SPP-TAP on the nuances of the Four Phase Process for Programmatic Improvement. Their collaboration includes cross-training in their individual areas of expertise and networking with other state and national experts to share resources and information on best practices and successful strategies for addressing disproportionality.

The SPP-TAP TA Facilitators have been a crucial support component of the SPP-TAP since 2009 as they provide ongoing support to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in their development and implementation of Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services. They are a diverse group of professionals spread through out California with a unique set of skills, knowledge and experience.

SPP-TAP TA Facilitators can support an LEA utilizing one of the following options.

An LEA can select an SPP-TAP TA Facilitator to be the sole support provider.
An LEA can contract with an SPP-TAP TA Facilitator who may bring in additional Facilitators to conduct specific tasks (e.g., data analysis, focus group facilitation, record reviews). The contracted SPP-TAP TA Facilitator will serve as a Lead TA Facilitator and will coordinate support services to the LEA.
LEAs can work together, regionally or under a SELPA, to contract with a Lead SPP-TAP TA Facilitator to coordinate a team of Facilitators to provide support services to the group of LEAs.

If you are not sure how you might utilize an SPP-TAP TA Facilitator, download “What can a State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Facilitator Do for Your LEA?” (DOC)

Click the names below to explore brief bios, areas of expertise and contact information for each SPP-TAP TA Facilitator. You can find SPP-TAP TA Facilitators by Location. And you can search by Expertise to identify SPP-TAP TA Facilitators who can provide support in a particular topic area.

For your convenience you can download a Contact List that includes names, locations, and contact information for all of the SPP-TAP TA Facilitators.

Other TA Facilitators

If an Local Education Agency (LEAs) prefers to work with another TA facilitator, they must first get approval from the CDE. LEAs must use the Proposed Significant Disproportionality TA Facilitator Eligibility Form on the 2022 CCEIS padlet to request approval for an external TA facilitator.

Nancy Akhavan, Ed.D.

(559)355-9291
nancyakhavan@comcast.net

Nancy Akhavan Consulting
nancyakhavan.com

Dr. Nancy Akhavan has spent 30 years as an educator and consultant. Her current work focuses on providing assistance to school districts and schools to increase student achievement, with a focus on equity and access. Currently, she works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Fresno State University where she teaches courses on school reform and systems improvement. Dr. Akhavan spent 25 years in the K-12 setting and continues to consult with school districts to improve student achievement. Dr. Akhavan was Assistant Superintendent in School Leadership, supervising middle schools in a large urban district. She also has experience in rural and smaller school districts. Additionally, she was the administrator of a multimillion dollar grant focused on implementing school models at elementary, middle and high schools to increase student achievement and decrease the disproportionate number of students of color being suspended and expelled. During the past six years, she has routinely worked with school district leadership and school level leaders to increase student achievement. Dr. Akhavan works with teams of teachers, students and families to ensure student success, to reduce the need for intervention, and to address the over-representation of student groups in special education. She is recognized for her expertise in literacy practices and has published eight books that focus on instruction increase student achievement. She is recognized nationally for her work and has worked with districts and county offices in multiple states to increase student achievement in reading, writing, and content areas.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability

Mary Bacon, Ph.D.

1055 Lakeview Drive
Hillsborough, CA 94010
650-342-0621
650-281-9445 (cell)
702-456-5734 (fax)
mbacon6538@aol.com
www.marymbacon.com

Mary Bacon’s journey from the projects in the South and tenements in the Northeast to the role of consultant was a varied and exciting one. These experiences make her uniquely prepared, both personally and professionally, to address issues related to achieving equity for those who are racially, ethnically, and socio-culturally different, as well as those who come from the challenging circumstances. Educated in elementary and secondary parochial schools in New Orleans and Harlem, she became the first one in her family to graduate from elementary school and understands the challenges of overcoming obstacles to achieve success. Mary earned a B.A. in Secondary Education from Fordham University majoring in Spanish; an M.A. in Guidance and Counseling and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Stanford University. An experienced teacher, university instructor, counselor, psychologist and school administrator in a variety of educational institutions, Mary has also served as a Probation Officer and as a Field Deputy in the California State Attorney General’s Office.

For the past four decades, she has conducted keynote addresses and seminars for thousands of educators nationally and internationally and has served as a consultant to many school districts related to serving the most challenged and challenging youth and families in our educational systems. Her firm, Images of a Culture, has had single event to multi-year contracts with school districts on a variety of related topics that provide strategies for fostering institutional change that ensures equity and equal access to educational opportunities for all. In her capacity as a State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Facilitator since the program’s inception, Dr. Bacon has been providing services in areas related to eliminating disproportionality, adopting an equity agenda and culturally responsive educational service delivery to several districts including but not limited to: Mt. Diablo, San Francisco, Woodland, Oakland, San Juan, Compton, South San Francisco, Hayward and Los Angeles.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Culturally Responsive Practices
Equity Issues: Implicit Bias
Facilitating Challenging Conversations

Organizational Structures

District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability

Mary Bevernick

(949) 293-6658
mbevernick@gmail.com

Over the past 40 years Mary has served as a special education teacher, a school counselor, a special education director, assistant superintendent and a SELPA director. As SELPA director of a large multi-ethnic single district SELPA, Mary was in the first cohort in California identified as Significantly Disproportionate. Through that experience she learned the power of using data to analyze, track and monitor systems in order to develop and improve them. She further experienced how useful data is in helping others to see problems and track success. Significant Disproportionality provides a platform for collecting solid data to guide implementation of innovative research-based interventions in general education, powerful student study teams, supporting equity in education and building strong and resilient systems in general and special education.

Beyond analyzing data, she has had multiple opportunities to work with others on equity issues and to design and implement systemic change. Change requires consideration of potential impact, expected and unexpected. Truly successful change requires input from all stakeholders before implementation. Identification for Significant Disproportionality offers an impetus to actually implement system changes. Mary believes that changes that promote equity and improve placement options are well worth the effort.

Finally, as a consultant, she often works with districts in need of improving systems in order to provide higher quality, equitable programs to serve students. The skills developed in her past offer the opportunity to guide districts and SELPAs to develop improved systems for serving students. Whether working directly with leadership, providing in-service presentations, classes for new administrators, or break-out sessions at large conferences, Mary consistently demonstrates the use of data to determine needs and to develop effective and efficient responses to those needs.

The work of an SSP-TAP facilitator is to support districts to develop and implement plans that will meet their own specific needs in a manner that will build on the strengths of that district and meet the district’s needs. Mary enjoys the work. She currently lives in the Santa Cruz mountains and has experience working in large urban districts and small rural districts in southern and central California.

Areas of Expertise

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Development
Tools to Assess Disproportionality

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Equity Issues: Implicit Bias
Facilitating Challenging Conversations
Student Success Team Processes

Organizational Structures

District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionate Disability

Dustin Bindreiff, Ed.D.

Dustin Bindreiff, Ed.D.
916-710-5848
dbindreiff@gmail.com

Dr. Dustin Bindreiff has spent nearly 20 years serving as a mentor, educator, and administer. Dr. Bindreiff is committed to creating educational opportunities for all students. In addition to being a teacher, he has served as a SELPA Coordinator and a PBIS Coordinator. His leadership in working with schools and partnering with staff supported the transformation of systems driven on compliance to those engaged in attaining successful instructional outcomes for all students. Dr. Bindreiff has participated in a number of Equity and Special Education Improvement teams for over a dozen school districts.

Dr. Bindreiff’s research in the area of establishing multi-tiered systems of support, including school wide positive behavior support, has both been published and presented nationally. Additionally, Dr. Bindreiff has provided professional development to district leaders, principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents in meeting the instructional needs of students grounded in rigor, addressing exclusionary disciplinary practices, and the implementation of PBIS.

Dr. Bindreiff is committed to ensuring the educational success of all students. He believes that being an education partner with students, families, communities, and fellow educators is essential to creating the opportunities needed to achieve success for all. Dr. Bindreiff leads by establishing systems and building community.

Dr. Bindreiff attained his doctorate in Educational Leadership for Special Education from Portland State University by examining the absence of implemented behavior interventions and identifying implementable behavior supports. Recently, he has partnered with a number of publishing companies and researchers to explore how to better motivate and engage struggling students.

Dustin is committed to creating educational opportunities and access for all children and supporting students, families, community members, and educators toward this common goal.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Culturally Responsive MTSS/PBIS
Social-Emotional Learning

Susan Bobbitt-Voth

(619) 948-7906
SusanBvoth@gmail.com

Susan Bobbitt-Voth has served as the director of three multi-district SELPAs in Central and Southern California. Her background and experience include working with very small rural districts to large urban districts. In all positions, she formed work groups, facilitated crucial conversations and led the improvement efforts across the member districts to resolve issues such as equitable funding in a SELPA that downsized, expanding inclusive practices, and responding to CDE performance and compliance issues in the areas of the State Performance Plan Indicators (SPPI) including disproportionality. Susan is known for her ability to guide stakeholder groups through processes such as the four phase process for addressing Significant Disproportionality. She works closely with the LEA team(s) and the CDE FMTA to meet all timelines and ensure the requirements are met. She believes that deep data analysis is essential to understanding the root causes for the areas of noncompliance. She believes in creating sustainable change through strategic planning efforts to develop a solid plan, monitor the progress and update the SMART goals, most of all celebrate progress. Additionally, Mrs. Bobbitt-Voth has served as the co-chair of various State SELPA committees including New Directors and Local Plan.

Although she currently resides in Southern California, she has also worked in Central California. Through the use of zoom and other tools, she would welcome the opportunity to serve LEAs across California to facilitate the efforts to decrease disproportionality and more importantly influence sustainable change and improvement efforts.

Areas of Expertise

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Development
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Facilitating Challenging Conversations
Student Success Team Processes

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 6: Preschool LRE (Placement)
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionate Disability

Debra A. Brown

3237 Moritz Dr.
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
(530) 613-4562
browni513@mac.com

Debra (Debbi) has dedicated herself to a career in special education. She is well versed in the areas of curriculum and staff development; this led to progressively more responsible positions over the 34 years she worked in Local Educational Agencies throughout the state of California. Debbi held positions as a Speech/Language Specialist, Program Specialist, LEA Special Education Administrator, SELPA Director and Assistant Superintendent. She has interfaced collaboratively with numerous superintendents, boards of education, and a variety of directors that included, but is not limited to, State SELPA directors, directors of county-operated programs and Local Educational Agencies, along with directors of other agencies.

Throughout her career, Debbi has experience working in multi-ethnic communities. She worked with other departments in aligning special education with general education requirements. The SELPA position, necessitated the alignment of all budgets under her responsibilities. In addition, Debbi has been a speaker at numerous conferences and trainings addressing a number of special education hot topics.

Debbi continues to work with LEA’s to address the development of different Plans required by the Department of Education (Local Plan, Performance Indicator Review/PIR, Disproportionality, Significant Disproportionality and SELPA Local Plans). The development of any Plan includes a process and procedure for the SELPA and LEAs to monitor their data. She has worked with LEAs on analyzing their data for the different mandated submissions. This provided a mechanism to identify problem areas to be addressed through either a current or new process or procedure.

Debbi is a certified trainer of Stephan Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and “Principled Centered Leadership”. For eleven years she was the co-chair of the State SELPA Organization Local Plan Committee. The positions she has held required collaboration with CDE, State SELPA membership, County Superintendent’s Organization, parental organizations, other state agencies and ACSA.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Budgets and Finance
CCEIS Plan: Development (4 Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Facilitating Challenging Conversations
Student Success Team Processes

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 6: Preschool LRE (Placement)
Performance Indicator 7: Preschool Assessments
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionate Disability
Performance Indicator 12: Part C to Part B Transition

Mildred Browne, Ph.D.

P.O. Box 4893
Hayward, CA 94540
925-368-4193

brownemildred@gmail.com

Dr. Mildred Browne has spent 30 years as an educator and psychologist assisting and advocating for students and families whose needs fall outside traditional school system offerings. Holding increasingly responsible positions as director, administrative director, and assistant superintendent at school districts in California and Georgia, she is recognized for her expertise in special education, pupil services, student discipline, and alternative education. She has developed such innovative programs as the Mental Health Collaborative Model, the Counseling Clinic/Wrap Program, and the School Coordinated Care Teams. Dr. Browne has been sharing her knowledge about serving challenged students and their families in presentations to educators, families, and agency personnel for 25 years.

Over the past ten years, Dr. Browne has had an opportunity to focus on her passion of addressing disproportionality as it relates to the over-representation of specific ethnic groups in special education and in regards to suspension and expulsion.

As a SELPA Director, Assistant Superintendent in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and as a consultant in San Francisco Unified School District, Dr. Browne has embraced an equity agenda in developing an equity plan, facilitating a district stakeholders’ equity advisory group, and writing a Significantly Disproportionate Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Plan which was well received by the district’s school board and the California Department of Education.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Budgets and Finance
CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Culturally Responsive MTSS/PBIS
Equity Issues: Implicit Bias
Facilitating Challenging Conversations
Social-Emotional Learning
Student Success Team Processes

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 6: Preschool LRE (Placement)
Performance Indicator 7: Preschool Assessments
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability
Performance Indicator 12: Part C to Part B Transition

Maureen O'Leary Burness, M.S.

916-698-6371
moburness@gmail.com

Maureen O’Leary Burness has most recently served as the Executive Co-Director of the Statewide Special Education Task Force tasked with making recommendations to improve outcomes for children with disabilities. Before that, she was a Commissioner to the State Advisory Commission on Special Education; and works as a Special Education Consultant. She recently retired from STRS-creditable work after thirty years working in special education as a teacher, school psychologist, Program Specialist, Principal, Director of Student Services and SELPA Administrator/Assistant Superintendent.

Her areas of passion and experience in special education include: addressing disproportionality as a civil rights issue; developing and implementing effective programs for students involving systems-wide implementation of Response to Instruction and Intervention/Multi-tiered System of Support, including both academics and positive behavior; leading effective and supportive communication between parties as systems change evolves; effective and holistic mental health models to address the full range of student and family needs; advocating for full funding for IDEA to better help districts address the full range of requirements in IDEA; supporting results, not just compliance; early intervention as a more effective, preventive model than later remediation; addressing cultural competency, bicultural, and bilingual needs of students and staff; program accountability with strong fiscal management; and respect for all in the change process.

She comes to this with her experience leading four different SELPAs, including forming one as a new SELPA, with a strong focus on effective programs for students. She has worked with UCD MIND to develop model programs for Autism using Evidence-Based Practices and has helped lead model sites for Bilingual Special Education. She strongly believes in working with general education and special education as one unified system supporting all students in a multi-tiered system of support.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Budgets and Finance
CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 7: Preschool Assessments
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability
Performance Indicator 12: Part C to Part B Transition

Jarice Butterfield, Ph.D.

(805) 368-2132
bjarice@aol.com

Dr. Jarice Butterfield has a very vast and diverse personal and professional background that has helped to shape her keen skills as an SPP-TAP Facilitator and leader. She was the former Executive SELPA Director in Santa Barbara County where she oversaw 23 very diverse LEAs for 11 years. During her work as a SELPA Director, she served as the Chair-Person to the State SELPA Directors’ Association Ad Hoc English Learner Committee and Liaison to the CDE English Language Learner Division. Jarice is also a parent of a child with moderate to severe disabilities and is passionate about implementing best practice inclusive opportunities for students with moderate to severe disabilities.

Jarice has also worked as an Assistant Superintendent overseeing categorical programs, curriculum and instruction, and special Education. One of her key roles in this position was to develop model English language development (ELD) programs to address issues of inequity and culturally bias. She has experience working in large urban districts, a dual immersion Spanish charter LEA, as well as small rural school districts.

Jarice is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and face challenging dynamics within educational systems. She is a creative, sensitive change agent. She is a certified mediator and has vast experience and training in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). She is skilled at guiding teams of various stakeholders in reaching consensus.

In addition to Jarice’s leadership experience, she has worked for several years as a an elementary and special educator, as well as an ELD specialist. She has written several grants to fund and implement model ELD programs for parents and their children. She holds CTCC California credentials in Special Education, Multiple Subject, Administrative Services, and a Language Development Specialist Certificate. She is also a trained School Psychologist and Certified Brain Injury Specialist. She has assisted several LEAs around California address their over-identification of ELs for special education. She has published extensively on ELs with disabilities and drafted the handbook titled Meeting the Needs of English Learners with Disabilities for the State SELPA Directors’ Association, co-authored the LRP book titled English Language Learners With Disabilities: A Guide for Education Administrators, and most recently, she assisted in the writing of the CDE’s publication California Practitioner’s Guide for Educating English Learners With Disabilities.

Some of her unique areas of expertise include culturally proficient assessment of English Learners (ELs), pre-referral intervention for ELs, appropriate reclassification of ELs with disabilities – long-term ELs, addressing social emotional barriers and implementing school-wide social emotional programs and services, and provision of professional development.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Development
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative
Root Cause: Quantitative
Tools to Assess Disproportionality

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionate Disability

Suwinder Cooper, M.A.

949-933-0077
cooperfreelance@gmail.com
Mela Consulting Services

Suwinder Cooper is an Education Consultant specializing in Equity and Diversity. She draws upon her broad-based experience in professional development and training in education, human-relations and cross-cultural counseling to assist Local Education Agencies (LEA’s) in the development and implementation of Coordinated Early Intervention Services Plans.

She develops comprehensive district wide and school-wide strategic plans to address wellness, implicit bias, disproportionality, race and ethnic relations. She conducts focus groups and custom designs professional development and culturally relevant/anti-bias training programs for district personnel, administrators, teachers, classified staff, students and parents.

As a member of the Center for Leadership in Equity and Leadership (CLEAR) she provides specialized professional development trainings, coaches and mentors to build capacity with LEA’s statewide.
Suwinder has taught classes in education and counseling at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Community College, and as an Academic Trainer, trained faculty and teaching assistants at the University of California, Irvine.

Suwinder earned a B.A. in Psychology and a M.A. in Education—Cross-Cultural Counseling Psychology from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is a certified True Colors Trainer and a certified anti-bias trainer with the Anti-Defamation League, Central Pacific Region.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Budgets and Finance
CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability

Dennis M. Doyle, Ph.D.

3155 Galloway Drive
San Diego, CA 92122
619-884-7855
dennisdoyle3@gmail.com

Dennis Doyle brings 12 years of experience as a Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, with service on the SELPA Superintendents’ Council. A bilingual (English/Spanish) educator, he worked to create a catch-up plan focused on academic English in a district where nearly 70 percent of the students are English Learners, 100% of the pupils receive free meals and where every school met all AYP goals for every target student population. Dr. Doyle has been a pioneer in the development of school-based Family Resource Centers, providing wrap-around services for moderate to high- risk students and families. He has worked with districts and schools to dramatically reduce suspension and expulsion rates and to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Dr. Doyle has provided professional development in culturally responsive classroom management and research-based instructional strategies designed for regular classroom teachers and he has positioned Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI2) as a district-wide initiative for all students (not as a special education-led effort). He takes a systemic approach to district-wide change that invites grassroots engagement in root-cause analysis, data- driven policy assessment, and evidence-based outcomes. In his capacity as a contracted SPP-TAP Facilitator, he has worked with districts to reinvent the SST process, incorporate Professional Learning Communities, and to develop specific interventions for African American students and English Learners. Dr. Doyle is part-time Co-Project Director of the US Department of Education funded CoTA (Collaborations: Teachers and Artists) Project. He has served as an SPP-TAP Facilitator for Greenfield, Grossmont, Jurupa, Los Angeles Unified, Poway, San Diego Unified, San Dieguito, San Marcos Unified, and Westminster School Districts.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Budgets and Finance
CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 6: Preschool LRE (Placement)
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability

Jon Eyler, Ed.D.

27274 Via Industria, Suite B

Temecula, CA 92590

(888) 267-6096

info@clsteam.net

Dr. Jon Eyler currently operates an educational services and consulting firm based in Southern California. His work focuses on behavior, social/emotional wellness, restorative practices, data, equity, and integrated system change. He and his team currently support LEAs in developing system-wide structures to prevent behavior incidents, establish inclusive practices, braid multiple initiatives, and mitigate disproportionate representation. His work also includes the development of targeted Tier II systems and intensive (Tier III) treatment programs for students with a history of significant behavioral challenges (the C5 Program). This work has resulted in numerous partnerships with districts and county offices throughout California to improve the quality of EBD programs and decrease the need for costly nonpublic school and/or residential placements.

Dr. Eyler has served as an administrator at both district and county levels. He has worked as a regional administrator for the Riverside County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) where he provided leadership and guidance to 22 LEAs serving more than 30,000 students with special needs. Prior to starting the consulting firm, he also worked for the University of Southern California (USC) where he taught courses in Educational Psychology (Learning Theory and Social Context). Today, he and his team continue to support hundreds of schools and districts across the state with leadership, professional development, and technical assistance around tiered systems of intervention, data solutions, EBD program evaluations, and integrated system change.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Culturally Responsive MTSS/PBIS
Equity Issues: Implicit Bias
Restorative Practices
Social-Emotional Learning

Organizational Structures

District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability

Dr. Havaughnia Hayes-White

(909) 606-9556
professorial@educationsolutionsllc.org

Dr. Havaughnia Hayes-White is a lifelong learner and career educator who has dedicated over 20 years of her life to PreK-12 public education. Dr. Hayes-White is a proud alumna of California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She earned four degrees in education and three California teaching credentials. All of which were earned at CSUN.

Dr. Hayes-White served 15 years as a Special Education teacher in urban Los Angeles schools. She taught all grade levels and all types of student learners and worked closely with all families to support their children’s academic and social/emotional development. In 2011, Dr. Hayes-White’s career expanded to include Higher Education. Within the California Community Colleges and California State University systems, Professor Hayes-White has had the honor of conferring an abundance of Associate Degrees, Teaching Credentials/Permits, and Master of Arts degrees to Student Teachers and University Interns across southern California. Dr. Hayes-White enjoys teaching credential preparation courses, observing & working closely with new teachers by providing instructional support and mentorship as teachers refine and reflect on Universal Design for Learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and equitable instructional practices for all students within their classroom environments.

Dr. Hayes-White’s state level civil service began when she was appointed by Anthony Rendon, Speaker of Assembly to sit as a Commissioner on the Advisory Commission on Special Education (ASCE) at the California Department of Education (CDE). On June 17, 2020, Dr. Hayes-White was elected by her peers as the first African-American woman to serve as the Vice Chair on the Commission.

Contributing to the advancement of California’s public education system for all students regardless of their cultural background, provides Dr. Hayes-White with a great source of humility and pride. Dr. Hayes-White enjoys collaborating and working closely with all school community stakeholders who represent diverse cultures, views, and experiences across California’s public education system.

Areas of Expertise

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Development
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative
Tools to Assess Disproportionality

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 6: Preschool LRE (Placement)
Performance Indicator 7: Preschool Assessments
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionate Disability
Performance Indicator 12: Part C to Part B Transition, Option 8

Cathie Johnson, M.A.

818-825-9027
cathie.johnson@icloud .com

Cathie Johnson has worked in the field of education for over 35 years, in both general and special education, in large urban school districts. She has worked at the district level and school site level, both elementary and secondary. Cathie’s roles have included teacher, principal, Intervention-Data Coordinator, Least Restrictive Environment Administrator, Professional Development Director, Special Education Director, Administrator for Closing the Achievement Gap, Social Emotional Learning Coordinator, Restorative Justice Coach and Parent Liaison. In addition, she has taught courses at the university level.

Cathie has focused much of her work on culturally relevant and responsive practices, specifically in the areas of equity, positive behavior support, and parent engagement. Her extensive background providing professional development includes: Trauma informed practices, Restorative Justice, Social Emotional Learning, English Language Learners, Standard English Learners, Collaborative and Inclusive instructional models, Student Support Teams, MTSS, Parent Engagement, Differentiated Instruction, Crisis Response, Student Voice, and the use of data to facilitate decision making.

Cathie has served on state-wide and district-wide teams including: Discipline and Positive Behavior Support, Least Restrictive Environment Task Force, Program Improvement, Special Education Compliance, WASC, Closing the Achievement Gap, Parent Taskforce Initiative, and Social Emotional Learning Implementation Teams. Cathie has been a grant recipient for Wellness programs with Kaiser and Dignity Health and has supported schools and districts with the implementation of wellness goals and classroom environments built around the social emotional learning domains. She is also involved in community programs including the Village Nation program, which focuses on supporting access and success for African American and Latino students. This is a collaborative partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles, local community colleges, business partners, and high schools across the state. Cathie is currently working with districts to develop models for Project Based Learning classrooms that integrate the cultural capital of the students and families, using a cultural lens to incorporate social emotional learning with instructional goals.

In 2010, Cathie became a State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Facilitator. She has been providing on-going assistance to Significantly Disproportionate Districts and prior grant-funded Disproportionate districts in their efforts to implement a plan to address disproportionality and to gain a deeper working understanding of the root causes that are leading them to disproportionality. Included in this work is assisting districts with the alignment of their plan goals to district initiatives and the Local Control and Accountability Plan and Performance Indicators, using the Smart Goal framework as a way to monitor progress. She is also supporting districts in their efforts to identify the appropriate resources and supports needed to frame their professional development efforts and how to build their ability to monitor the effectiveness of their plan implementation, reporting, and budget alignment.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Data Collection
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability

Doreen Lohnes

(949) 322-2412
dlohnes@cox.net

My 40 year background as a special educator/administrator/SELPA Director/Assistant Superintendent in two large single district SELPAs where I initiated, implemented, and sustained PBIS, Restorative Practices and MTSS have prepared me to address the root causes of significant disproportionality. In addition, I benefited from the experience of leading a School Climate team of parents students administrators and advocacy groups that tackled issues of concern.

Areas of Expertise

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Implementation
Root Cause: Qualitative

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Restorative Practices
Student Success Team Processes

Organizational Structures

District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement

Paul Luelmo, Ph.D.

Paul Luelmo, Ph.D.
2475 Paseo De Las Americas #1027
San Diego, CA 92154
213-316-6249
Pluelmo@sdsu.edu
www.paulluelmo.com

Dr. Paul Luelmo is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at San Diego State University. Paul has 7+ years of teaching and administrative experience in low-resource, racial and ethnic minority urban charter school settings in Los Angeles. He grew up in Mexico and he is fluent in Spanish. His background has helped him implement evidence- based culturally responsive teaching strategies such as culturally responsive educational systems. He has used these skills to empower and educate underserved communities in Los Angeles. His efforts have been focused on serving Latino and African-American students with disabilities and English Language Learners.

Paul’s research experience includes autism intervention, delivery of mental health services in schools, and parent advocacy. His current research project involves a parent-to-parent advocacy intervention employing community-partnered participatory research in a low-resourced racial and ethnic minority setting.

Paul received his B.A. in Political Economy from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2006. He received a teaching credential from San Diego State University in 2009. He received his M.A. in Special Education from California State University, Los Angeles in 2013 and a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2018.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Culturally Responsive MTSS/PBIS
Culturally Responsive Practices
Equity Issues: Implicit Bias
Universal Design for Learning,

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability

Gary McHenry, M.A.

39941-A Parada Street
Newark, CA 94560
925-699-1760
Mchenry_gary@yahoo.com

Gary McHenry has devoted his life to public service. He served as a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy, worked at several private psychiatric hospitals and spent 37 years in public education, starting a career as a high school counselor and retiring after serving 18 years as superintendent in three large districts. He is currently a leadership coach in the UC Berkeley School of Education Principal‘s Leadership Program.

His path in public education took him to the following educational institutions: Mountain View/Los Altos High School district, Oakland Unified School District, Stockton Unified School District, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, Inglewood Unified School District, Foothill Community College, John F. Kennedy University, and the University of California, Berkeley School of Education.

He is skilled in facilitation, special education law, procedures and practices, collective bargaining, conflict resolution, parent engagement strategies, and program development to serve the students with the greatest needs. He is a credentialed School Psychologist.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., Focus Group, Student Voice, and Questionnaire Data)
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis

Organizational Structures

District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement

Caryl J. Miller, Ed.D.

P.O. Box 3125
Long Beach, CA 90803
562-243-6007
carylm49@verizon.net

CA Special Ed Services, LLC

Dr. Caryl Miller has a broad range of educational experiences for 40 years as a general and special education teacher as well as an administrator at different levels including the school site, district office, county office of education, and special education local plan area (SELPA). As an Assistant Superintendent, Student Support Services, in Hemet Unified School District, Caryl was responsible for special education, health services, centralized student enrollment, pupil personnel, and child welfare and attendance. For 18 years, as the Riverside County SELPA Director, she managed the largest multi-district SELPA in the state representing 30,000 special education students.

Upon retirement in 2009, Caryl works as an educational consultant for small, medium, and large school districts in the areas of organizational change, program improvement, and leadership coaching. She has conducted approximately 50 formal special education program/fiscal studies, visiting over 2,000 classrooms statewide. Caryl works closely with School Districts and Charter Schools on the following reviews: Annual Disproportionality, Noncompliance, and Performance Indicators.

Caryl provides assistance to school districts identified as Significantly Disproportionate (SD) in the following capacities: (a) initiation and facilitation of the leadership team and stakeholder group; (b) completion of programmatic self assessment tools; (c) identification of root causes through collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; (d) selection of focus areas based on identified root causes of disproportionality; and, (e) development and monitoring of the “SD Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Plan” and “Program Improvement Action Plan.” With experience in special education finance, Caryl can address financial considerations such as the impact of the 15% Federal requirement to support the CCEIS Plan and/or coordinate intervening services as part of the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Budgets and Finance
CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Susan K. Parker, M.S.W.

P.O. Box 4411
Incline Village, NV 89450
(510)731-7730
sueparker849@sbcglobal.net

Sue Parker has spent her professional career working in public school districts in California. She has a master’s degree and pupil personnel services credential from UC Berkeley and received her school administration credential from CSU, East Bay. With the exception of a one year’s stint as an administrator in a California non-public school day treatment program, she has spent her professional career working as: counselor, site administrator, pupil services administrator, special education and SELPA director in a multi-district SELPA in public K12 school districts.

Sue currently lives in a small mountain town in Nevada located three miles from the California border. She grew up on a small family farm and is very comfortable in both urban and rural settings.

Sue has experience and competency in writing local plans, procedural manuals, board policies, administrative regulations, and conducting compliance reviews. She has worked with others to analyze data leading to the provision of cultural competency training and the development and implementation of successful programs to address student academic and social and emotional needs. She has also worked with others to develop and implement innovative behavioral support programs.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Facilitating Challenging Conversations
Student Success Team Processes

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionate Disability
Performance Indicator 12: Part C to Part B Transition

Laura Savage, Ed.D.

(650) 669-1196
drsavage@nadirrconsulting.com

Dr. Laura Savage is a self-proclaimed ‘diversity, equity and social justice warrior’ who focuses on building the capacity of individuals to work across cultural differences. Dr. Savage has over twenty years in education at K12, undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to being an educator, she previously served as Director of Equity, Employment and Professional Development at the college level. There she expanded her passion for auditing, analyzing, and rewriting organizational policies, practices and procedures through a DEI lens.

For the past eight years Dr. Savage has enjoyed addressing disproportionality within LEAs and as an educational consultant. Her interest areas in addressing special education disproportionality include: equity issues (implicit and explicit bias); facilitating challenging conversations; culturally responsive practices (MTSS/RTI/PBIS/SST); the experience of English Language Learners (cultural and linguistic); cultural humility and competence & policies and procedures, to name a few.

She is an adjunct instructor at S.F.S.U. in the Graduate College of Education’s Equity, Leadership Studies and Instructional Technologies department for six years. She approaches ‘sig dis’ through the lens as a former Special Education Ombudsman, Equity and Family/Community Engagement Lead, certified mediator, and Title IX/Civil Rights Investigator. She also serves on the CDE Significant Disproportionality Stakeholder Committee.

She is passionate about combining her lenses in the work of building the capacity of educators, administrators, families and students to find equitable and inclusive decisions that lead to better outcomes for all students, general and special education.

Areas of Expertise

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Development
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative
Root Cause: Quantitative
Tools to Assess Disproportionality

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionate Disability

Trena Spurlock, M.A.

626-695-2841
anerts@yahoo.com

Trena Spurlock’s career in education has spanned over 40 years. Ms. Spurlock has served as a Special Education Department Director, a Special Education Local Plan (SELPA) Director, an independent educational consultant, and a university professor.

Most recently, as the Director of the Special Education Department for Pomona Unified School District and the Special Education Local Plan Area SELPA Director, Ms. Spurlock designed and implemented a continuum of programs for students with autism. She also successfully implemented the district’s continuum of programs for students with moderate/severe disabilities. In 2010, she led the initiative to establish Pomona Unified School District as a single district SELPA.

After working in Pomona Unified School District, Ms. Spurlock became an independent Educational Consultant. She has worked with Compton Unified School District SELPA, Stockton Unified School District SELPA and the Long Beach Unified School District SELPA. Her work as an educational consultant has centered around working with districts on equity planning with a focus on the district’s “significant disproportionality” status and the development and implementation Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Plans.

Currently, Ms. Spurlock is an adjunct faculty member at California State University Dominquez Hills. She is the University Supervisor for intern teachers in the Teacher Education Program who are seeking a Mild/Moderate Education Specialist Credential. She also teaches the Educating Diverse Learners with Exceptional Needs course.

In addition to working in Pomona Unified School District SELPA, Ms. Spurlock has been an adjunct faculty member at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and Azusa Pacific University. She has presented on a variety of educational topics at Claremont Graduate University and at the Association California School Administrators (ASCA) Special Education Academy.

Areas of Expertise:

Creating and Implementing CCEIS Plans

CCEIS Plan: Budgets and Finance
CCEIS Plan: Development (Four Phase Process)
CCEIS Plan: Implementation
CCEIS Plan: Monitoring and Sustaining
CCEIS Plan: Regulations (State and Federal)
Facilitating Leadership and Stakeholder Teams
Root Cause: Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis (e.g., focus groups, student voice, questionnaire data)
Root Cause: Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis
Tools to Assess Disproportionality (e.g., Root Causes)

Addressing Root Causes of Disproportionality

Organizational Structures

Alignment of Multiple District Action Plans (e.g., CCEIS, LCAP, PIR)
Developing Policies and Procedures to Address Disproportionality
District Organization: Systems Change

Addressing Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator 4: Suspensions and Expulsions
Performance Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (Placement)
Performance Indicator 6: Preschool LRE (Placement)
Performance Indicator 7: Preschool Assessments
Performance Indicator 8: Parent Involvement
Performance Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Performance Indicator 10: Disproportionality Disability
Performance Indicator 12: Part C to Part B Transition

Anna Marie Villalobos

(408) 314-3835
annamarievillalobos@gmail.com

Anna Marie Villalobos has worked in general and special education across a variety of school settings. She has been a teacher, an administrator, and a SELPA Director and has worked in rural, suburban, and urban districts. Most recently she was a member of the team that authored the Ways to Equity Playbook as part of the CEPIP grant for the state’s regional equity lead, the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at the Santa Clara County Office of Education Educator Preparation Program, where she instructs teacher and administrator candidates with an emphasis on equity, inclusion and the use of UDL and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy to promote learning and achievement opportunities for all students from the classroom to the district office.

Through her work Anna Marie has led a variety of stakeholder teams and focus groups at the district, county, and state level and has facilitated conversations around disproportionality, equity, and implicit bias. In addition, she served as a member of the California Statewide Special Education Task Force, and has presented at the Council on Exceptional Children Conference, California Statewide Inclusion Conference, and ACSA Every Child Counts Conference with a focus on the intersection of UDL and Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy. Anna Marie holds a Masters in Special Education from Columbia Teachers College and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from California State University East Bay.