BOE 2023

1. Share any background or expertise, professional or personal, that you believe speaks to your experience and commitment to serving the students who receive special education in our district.

Without getting into too much personal detail, I can say that we have already seen from a very early age the importance of early interventions, “meeting kids where they are”, and identifying tailored instruction to help set the stage for later success.

I’d like to help ensure our district can provide those opportunities for all Madison children that have a need. 

2. How, as a BOE member, do you intend to keep students with disabilities as a part of the conversation in all aspects of decisions being made? How will you solicit input from parents on policy that directly impacts students with disabilities and their families?

First, as a fundamental principle I think we need to foster an inclusive environment for ALL kids from ALL backgrounds, including special needs, but also race, religion, sex/gender, economic, etc. This means as a Board we can’t limit our thinking to just one type of model student or a lowest common denominator approach.

In terms of input from parents, I see this as essential and would like to foster stronger collaboration and partnership in this area. I see SEPAG as a great advocacy group and conduit for this, and have elaborated further in Q#7.

3. If a parent approached you with a special education concern, and stated that they felt that this was a systemic problem, what would you do? What are some ideas you have to prevent issues from becoming systemic?

I’d start with taking the concern seriously, hearing out the facts, and ensuring initially that the proper channels within the school were given the opportunity to resolve the issue. For potentially systemic problems I’d want to understand who within the schools has already been contacted, when, what the outcome was, and what other students or families have had similar concerns.

In terms of preventing systemic issues, to me this is where a combination of good procedures, data, and Board governance play a strong role. Procedures like the Communication Protocols ensure parents or students know how to raise their concerns. Where possible I’d look to metrics and trends to give better context to individual anecdotes (e.g., # of HIB reports). Finally, where a negative trend or systemic problem has been identified, the Board should oversee that corrective actions are being put in place. 

4. Educating a student with a disability costs more money than educating a general education student. This cost impacts the school budget. How would you approach budgeting decisions regarding special education?

From a budget pov I would look at how to most cost effectively deliver the required services, and where practical, to invest in building those capabilities in house. 

In my Supply days a regular decision point we would make was whether to make a product in house, or to buy it from an external manufacturer. The preference was typically to make in house, as we could better control the quality and costs. At times though, for very new or specialized products, we might outsource it. In either case the aim was to deliver the right product at the most effective price. I see this similarly.

5. What do you think is the greatest challenge in Madison's school district regarding special education?

I’d expect challenges related to staffing, facilities, and budgets.

Staff – maintaining sufficient staffing, with the right skills, and continuing to develop them ongoing as we learn more about effective instructional methods and best practice.

Facilities – from basic ADA compliance to having sufficient space and climate control, I'm sure our aging buildings make this more challenging.

Budgets – On top of all this, resources are finite and delivering these services in a cost-effective way can be challenging. 

6. If elected, what do you see as your learning curve specifically for special education?

I’d say I’m starting with a moderate understanding based on our family experience to date, and I’m a quick study! I have already been reading up on some of our district’s historical gaps, recent curriculum changes, and latest instructional best practice.

I can’t claim to be an expert personally, but by working with those that are and listening to their pov, I’m confident I can make the best informed decisions for our kids.

7. It is critical that the Board of Education maintains open lines of communication with community groups such as the SEPAG in order to best represent the concerns of special education parents/guardians to the school administrators, and to represent the needs of special education students to the citizens, taxpayers and parents of the community. In addition to BOE meetings, how might you look to formalize communication protocols to ensure a direct line of communication between the BOE with the SEPAG?

Such a great question and it touches on one of my first motivations for deciding to run. My number one goal if elected to the Board is to serve as a collaborative and thoughtful voice to the community. That means actively engaging with the various community groups that care so deeply about our kids and schools, including SEPAG for Special Education, as well as MEF, MAF, PTO’s, and more. 

A group of just 7 people cannot alone be expert in all topics or be aware of all things working well (or not) within the district. So it behooves the Board to actively engage with and hear out those other experts’ ideas and concerns.

In terms of formalizing communications, I would first look to identify a SEPAG liaison as point person to engage with the Board and Administration ongoing. From there, the administration or Board committees could more easily request input on key topics; preview upcoming changes to curriculum, policies, or staff; and overall build a stronger dialog and rapport. Possibly a quarterly review could be put in place as well to share progress and priorities.

I’m sure there will be some complexities around confidentiality and legal requirements but feel it is worth working through those to establish better communication and collaboration with our community groups.

1. Share any background or expertise, professional or personal, that you believe speaks to your experience and commitment to serving the students who receive special education in our district.

I previously served on the Madison Board of Education from April 2003 through December 2018. I served as board president for over twelve years, from late 2005 through December of 2017, holding leadership roles for most of my tenure. I achieved NJSBA Master Board Member status in 2014. I was also a Member of the Board of Trustees, Morris County School Boards Association from 2009 through 2017. I have extensive Madison school district-specific experience with special education programming, hiring, litigation, and the “2015 Evaluation of Services Provided to Students with Disabilities”. I was a vocal advocate on the board for the improvement of the delivery of services and making sure each and every student had access to a program or placement that not only met the letter of the law but provided each student with the best fit educationally. I also have experience with facilities and construction, including a leadership role in passing a $48 million successful referendum in 2005, the sale of the Green Village Road School, district contract negotiations, school finance, board policy, administrative hiring, strategic planning, etc.

2. How, as a BOE member, do you intend to keep students with disabilities as a part of the conversation in all aspects of decisions being made? How will you solicit input from parents on policy that directly impacts students with disabilities and their families?

As a board member, I would ensure that all programs are carefully evaluated regularly and that every student is receiving the services mandated in their IEPs. I have heard too often that this has not been the case over the last five years. That is unacceptable to me. In addition, I believe that it is essential for the district administration to work hand in hand with SEPAG on all communication. Every family with students in this district, including those receiving services or in out-of-district placements, should be given a satisfaction survey at the end of the school year. The survey should include questions regarding communication, evaluation of services, academic programming, culture, and general well-being. We absolutely need to give parents a voice in all aspects of their child’s education. 

3. If a parent approached you with a special education concern, and stated that they felt that this was a systemic problem, what would you do? 

I would ask if that parent has spoken directly to applicable staff (teachers, case managers, director, etc.) about the issue and, if so, what their satisfaction level with the response was. I would then bring the concern directly to the board and superintendent and ask that the concern be thoroughly evaluated and a report returned to the board. 

The best way to prevent an issue from becoming systemic is constant monitoring and evaluation of staff and programs and open, honest, constant communication. 

4. Educating a student with a disability costs more money than educating a general education student. This cost impacts the school budget. How would you approach budgeting decisions regarding special education?

Every student in this district is entitled by law to receive a fair, appropriate public education. I have always advocated for students to receive the services, programs, and placements that meet their individual needs. The district should always be working to make sure that each and every student has everything they need to reach their individual highest potential. That has to be the priority over cost. That being said, the district has the ability to find creative ways to deal with those costs, such as but not limited to creating tuition-based programs here that can bring in funding, etc. 

5. What do you think is the greatest challenge in Madison's school district regarding special education?

The primary challenge now is the high rate of turnover, a lack of evaluation and monitoring, and a lack of transparent communication. First and foremost, the hiring of a new Chief School Administrator (CSA), aka Superintendent, who has the knowledge, understanding, and vision for what exemplary special services programming looks like. That is essential. The hiring of a new director will be done by the new CSA. 

6. If elected, what do you see as your learning curve specifically for special education?

I have a high-level understanding of all aspects of special services. I would, however,  need to get a better understanding of the new programs that have been implemented since I left the board in December of 2018 and any changes to the law over the same time period.

7. It is critical that the Board of Education maintains open lines of communication with community groups such as the SEPAG in order to best represent the concerns of special education parents/guardians to the school administrators, and to represent the needs of special education students to the citizens, taxpayers and parents of the community. In addition to BOE meetings, how might you look to formalize communication protocols to ensure a direct line of communication between the BOE with the SEPAG?

I believe the communication tools that I mentioned in my answer to question #2 are essential. One of my favorite sayings is, “you cannot fix what you don’t know is broken.” Open, transparent conversation is so important. The board absolutely should have a liaison/representative on SEPAG as it does to other organizations. Planned discussions and presentations at board meetings will help to build a more positive culture. I abhor the “regular vs. special paradigm.” Every student in this district is equal, and we have an absolute responsibility to each and every one. I was part of the community group that wrote the district’s mission statement, and I still believe in the value of every word. We spent a lot of time discussing our values at the time. I know mine have not changed. We need to nurture, protect, inspire, challenge, and educate our students, making sure they have the tools necessary to reach their goals.    

1. Share any background or expertise, professional or personal, that you believe speaks to your experience and commitment to serving the students who receive special education in our district.

I have worked in public education for 17 years, as both a teacher and supervisor of secondary education. I also have two master’s degrees in secondary education and educational leadership. I have extensive experience working with IEPs, 504s and ensuring that students receive all of their accommodations in the classroom every year. I have participated in IEP annual review meetings and ongoing parent discussions to review course recommendations to make sure students with disabilities are in classes where they are supported, challenged and successful. 

Whether it’s running alongside an autistic runner as an assistant coach in cross country or working in small groups in a self-contained special education class with seniors to help them with their math portfolio to meet the graduation requirement, I take pride in my interactions and the impact I have on the special education community at Summit. It brings me joy to discuss the opportunity for special education students to take honors level math courses. Depending on the student’s IEP and the family’s ambition, I have broken down metaphorical walls and done what’s right for these students to challenge them based on their exceptional ability and to be as inclusive and equitable as possible for all secondary math sequencing. 

2. How, as a BOE member, do you intend to keep students with disabilities as a part of the conversation in all aspects of decisions being made? How will you solicit input from parents on policy that directly impacts students with disabilities and their families?

Based on my skill set and background, I want to be one of the board members serving on the education committee. As a math supervisor and administrator, I always have the lens for how educational decisions, class sequencing, course offerings and staffing affect our special education students. I bring it up in administrative council meetings and work closely with both the special education supervisor at the middle school and the special education supervisor at the high school. I will be an advocate for special education, someone who has a seat at the table to bring those concerns of SEPAG to committee meetings, board meetings and other interactions with the Madison administrators. 

The permanent superintendent who will take over in 2024 needs to have a clear communication policy to solicit input from parents on policy and I will use those channels set up for the BOE to interact with and receive input from SEPAG and families with students with disabilities.

3. If a parent approached you with a special education concern, and stated that they felt that this was a systemic problem, what would you do? What are some ideas you have to prevent issues from becoming systemic?

I would be an active listener and want to hear as much as I could about how this systemic problem started, why it’s so far-reaching, how it impacts that student, and what can be done to solve the situation. I welcome two-way conversation and would want to ask as many questions as possible to understand the full scope of the problem. Immediately after, I would bring this information to the current BOE president. Working under the restrictions that we have on the BOE, I would love to speak with the superintendent or the director of special services to share the parent’s concerns and find more information out about the systemic problem.

I am a solutions-focused administrator who wants to create action plans for measurable growth and to fix what might be systemic problems. Moreover, I constantly reflect, seek input, analyze more formative data to find trends and nip problems in the bud before they become systemic issues. Having data-driven processes and accountability will allow for these problems not to become so widespread.

4. Educating a student with a disability costs more money than educating a general education student. This cost impacts the school budget. How would you approach budgeting decisions regarding special education?

We have to follow the federal and state regulations to provide all the accommodations and services that our special education students legally receive. We should never limit what we need to do for students based on financial budgeting. We need to do what’s right by our students, provide the correct facilities, classroom spaces and ensure we are ADA-compliant in our buildings. We need to make sure we have certificated and highly effective special education teachers and provide the proper in-class support and academic classes that the students need as defined in their IEPs. We need the proper child study team, one-on-one aides, speech therapists, occupational therapists, behavior consultants and other staff members that contribute to special services in the district. The cost of all of this should be calculated and known going into the formation of the school budget. 

5. What do you think is the greatest challenge in Madison's school district regarding special education?

Currently the biggest challenge is finding a permanent superintendent who is well-versed with special education, with a clear vision and plan for hiring and recruiting two top-notch administrators to fill the permanent roles vacated by Dr. Santora and Dr. Seminerio. Our district lost a lot of expertise when those administrators left, and we need to find the best possible educational leaders to fill those roles. Additionally, there is work to be done to take an audit on all the services we offer, what are we doing well, what can we do better and how do the special education students progress through our schools. 

6. If elected, what do you see as your learning curve specifically for special education?

I would have almost no learning curve as it relates to special education based on my educational experience working in schools as a teacher and administrator and being well-versed in my post-collegiate coursework in special education. I am very familiar with what Summit Public Schools do with special education services and know about the strengths and opportunities for growth in the district that I work in. My learning curve would be getting up to speed with the special services in Madison – its strengths and its challenges. I know about what is offered through the presentations from Dr. Santora and Dr. Seminerio and through Madison and SEPAG’s websites and communication. However, I look forward to learning about the qualitative side – how good are these services, what can Madison do better, what are some concerns the parents have. Understanding the issues facing Madison would be my learning curve that I will happily take on.

7. It is critical that the Board of Education maintains open lines of communication with community groups such as the SEPAG in order to best represent the concerns of special education parents/guardians to the school administrators, and to represent the needs of special education students to the citizens, taxpayers and parents of the community. In addition to BOE meetings, how might you look to formalize communication protocols to ensure a direct line of communication between the BOE with the SEPAG?

All BOE members have email addresses in which citizens and organizations can reach out to be heard. BOE members cannot respond individually because we act as an entity, but the most important thing we can do is listen to the community’s opinions, ideas and concerns. The most important thing that SEPAG can do is communicate what was discussed in your meetings and share any important opinions, ideas and concerns with the BOE. In addition, I would love to see what can be done to create more of a two-way dialogue in which the BOE can pose questions to SEPAG rather than just email correspondence. I would also commit to review what is past practice in both our district and in neighboring districts. We should take inventory of the school liaisons’ communication and consider what are the opportunities for stakeholders such as SEPAG co-presidents to serve on committees and focus groups in the district. 

1. Share any background or expertise, professional or personal, that you believe speaks to your experience and commitment to serving the students who receive special education in our district.

I am a special needs parent. My son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2016. At this time I did not know what ABA therapy, NJ Early Intervention program or an Individualized Education Plan was. I walked out of the Child Development Center in Morristown with a diagnosis in writing and prescription for 40 hrs per week of in-home or in-center Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. It was one of the darkest days of my life. The simplest way I can explain how we moved forward is I leveraged my resourcefulness and passion to get the help medical experts suggested we needed. For the following 6 years I had therapists in my home daily and logged hundreds of hours of parent training. I've attended seminars, parent support groups, online forums, etc to understand our rights in public education and explore expert data points to determine what therapy approach was best for my child. It was a very isolating experience at first. SEPAG (formerly known as PPEC) was not as established in our community. Luckily Madison had just hired a Sr Administrative Professional with experience in building ABA programs in the Madison district. I have also had private advocates help train me to facilitate our IEP process. I'm also extremely lucky to have met other families with similar challenges and needs in Madison. I deeply care for these children as well. 

In addition to first hand knowledge and experience as a special needs parent I'm a professional with extensive communications strategy, marketing and negotiating experience.

2.  How, as a BOE member, do you intend to keep students with disabilities as a part of the conversation in all aspects of decisions being made? How will you solicit input from parents on policy that directly impacts students with disabilities and their families?

For me, the input from parents comes naturally. It's always at the forefront of my mind and a top priority. I would be the BOE member that will keep putting on the table-  how does this decision or funding support/affect the special services community? If I felt we had that accountability on our current BOE I don't think I'd be running. The stakes are high for my family personally and that's why I'm willing to put in the time, effort and resources.  I need to learn how the BOE and committees function, but I do feel a special services committee or more structured meetings with SEPAG and administration will be important to consider. Also we have many parents in our community who are school psychologists, pediatric physicians, OOD program leaders, etc and I would love to lean on them and ask for their expert support more. 

3. If a parent approached you with a special education concern, and stated that they felt that this was a systemic problem, what would you do? What are some ideas you have to prevent issues from becoming systemic? 

As a BOE member, if I'm allowed to have a direct line of communication with the Senior Administration the best approach in my opinion would be to address and problem solve with those key decision makers directly. We need to bridge that gap with concerned parents and collaborate more effectively. In terms of IEP compliance, curriculum planning and improving culture I strongly believe inclusion (opportunities, assemblies, programs etc) and better training is best for ALL students. 

4. Educating a student with a disability costs more money than educating a general education student. This cost impacts the school budget. How would you approach budgeting decisions regarding special education?

I have so many questions about the funding process and tuition business models (OOD - both sending Madison children OOD when appropriate and do we want to build out programs that take in tuition). I also believe monitoring the Referendum process and making fiscally responsible decisions that support our special education programs is key. It has been communicated to me by previous Special Services leadership that facilities are our biggest hurdle in achieving all special services program goals. Does the 80M+ project list support the vision and IEP compliance overall? We need to pay close attention.

5. What do you think is the greatest challenge in Madison's school district regarding special education?

Facilities and funding. We need more space for 1:1 and small group instruction and standardized test taking. We need more space for life skills programming or we need funding to allow those children to attend OOD schools who have all of those offerings and medical support without fear and cost of litigation. We need to reassess 3rd party hiring firms for aides and educators. Ideally we would train in-house and offer benefits again to attract better talent. Some of our most qualified aides and educators are Madison residents who rely on the benefits. I also would encourage all stakeholders to tour OOD schools and understand the differences better. I have personally toured four private schools. OF COURSE WE NEED A SPECIAL SERVICES EXPERT/EDUCATOR/LEADER TO SPEARHEAD ALL OF THIS! 

6. If elected, what do you see as your learning curve specifically for special education?

The funding process and specifics of all laws and rights. I would need SEPAG's help and other experts' help.  

7. It is critical that the Board of Education maintains open lines of communication with community groups such as the SEPAG in order to best represent the concerns of special education parents/guardians to the school administrators, and to represent the needs of special education students to the citizens, taxpayers and parents of the community. In addition to BOE meetings, how might you look to formalize communication protocols to ensure a direct line of communication between the BOE with the SEPAG?

I agree communication and representation is key. I believe one way we can improve this is in the "Dodger Updates" as an example. Our CSA should have a section that celebrates, informs and engages with the community that represents special education in our district. I've heard a few times OOD families feel left behind so including and highlighting them as well may go a long way for building better culture. PTO communications have always felt disconnected as well. I do think it's improving and I understabd there are privacy laws but our children and families shouldn't feel left out. With open lines of communication with SEPAG these initiatives should be achievable rather immediately.