End of Year Summary for Special Education and Student Services

July 5, 2012

Here is my end of year summary which features just some of my responsibilities/programming as the Director of Special Education and Student Services:

Performed the duties of the school psychologist position at our middle and high school for last 3 months of the school year

Recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow at end of Medford Morning Rotary Club awards banquet

Supervised and trained new special education and support staff including: Tasha D, Amy W, Tara N, Beth V, Paul B, Brittany Z, Amanda W, Sam P, and Lorie S

Coordinated our first ever Special Education Family Day events including snowshoeing and movie days

Coordinated and led the tree planting memorial for Chase Ried

Coordinated monthly Wilson Reading trainings for staff

Coordinated the Wilson Reading Level I and Level II Certification process for staff over the past 3 years - we now have 5 staff (Schumacher, Galli, Brandner, Jochimsen, and Woletz) with Level II Certification and 10 staff with Level I Certification as of June 2012.   

Coordinated Wilson Reading instruction being offered for special education and at risk students in every school building in the district

Coordinated the Spring Fling Dance for Grades 7-12 students in special education as sponsored by the Medford Morning Rotary Club and Club DART

Became chairperson and helped form the Taylor County Literacy Council

Trained staff on Educational Technology and iPads at monthly meetings

Chairperson of the Special Education Advisory, Taylor County Early Childhood, Taylor County Literacy Council, Taylor County Transition Advisory Council, CLC Advisory, School Health, Alternative Education, and Taylor County Interagency Communications committees.

Coordinated regular Autism Resource Team meetings – including staff development and guest speakers like Dr. Laura Shank from the Achieve Center and Mike Johnson from the Central Wisconsin Autism Society.

Coordinated the 1^st ever Round Table of Community Providers which included 53 people in attendance

Coordinated the NTC/CLC class on Sign Language for Educators – over 30 regular and special education staff in attendance

Promoted Special Education/Student Services on Facebook – 132 people on Facebook and over 400 on Twitter; helped maintain our Blog and Website

Trained community members and staff on using Facebook and Twitter through CLC Adult Education Class

Coordinated the Voyager Math Live program for MAMS

Coordinated School Based Mental Health Counseling Services in our schools for the 1^st time

Coordinated job employment experiences at Black River Industries for 5^th year seniors

Planned and coordinated Week of the Young Child Activities in Taylor County including: performances, beach party potluck dinner and dance, movie day, dress up days, and more

Coordinated and created the School Health Assistant Program at MAMS

Coordinated monthly special education meetings/training for staff in each building

Trained special education and student services staff on the Mandatory Child Abuse and Neglect Training as it relates to Wisconsin Act 81

Coordinated the Wisconsin Act 309 School Safety/Bullying/Crisis Plan training through DPI at the Taylor County Interagency Communications Committee

Started to plan for the Taylor County Transition Night for Parent/Students through the Taylor County Transition Advisory Council

Attended multiple IEP meetings as the LEA representative with Jessica Martin on maternity leave

Helped write the Taylor County Birth to Three Interagency Agreement

Served as the District Supervisor for the Student Teaching of Kellie Keene through WGU

Helped proofread the Bullying Policy for Medford Area Public Schools

Coordinated the summer TEACCH training for staff and community

Coordinated the Appropriate Use of Seclusion and Physical Restraint Training for Staff

Wrote the Diagnostic Special Education Program Support Teacher Job Description

Participated in the Fall and Spring Taylor County Reality Fairs

Coordinator for our Medford Adult Diploma Academy – we now have two graduates and anticipate three more by end of Summer 2012

Collaborated with Northcentral Technical College for them to pay for 10 hours per week of instruction which is increase of 6 hours per week from 10-11.  

We had 100% of our Alternative High School students employed in the community for the first time

Successfully wrote a Weyerhauser Foundation Grant for $5,000 for a job coach at our Alternative High School.

Attended the Wisconsin Federal Funding Conference with Jeff Albers and Laura Lundy

Coordinated the PBIS statewide training attendance for building leadership teams

Coordinated with early education staff – monthly Families Being Involved workshops for pre-kindergarten families.

Coordinated and trained staff on Parental Outreach Activities – this helps the district count pre-kindergarten students as .6 FTE instead of .5 FTE