Special Needs

Jane Pedersen, EdD, is the director of student services in Fremont School District 79 in Illinois. She has previously served as assistant director of educational services, an elementary school assistant principal, and a school psychologist for Kildeer Countryside School District 96 in Illinois.

Megan Clarke is the superintendent of a special education collaborative serving four school districts in Illinois. In addition to supporting the collaborative, her work focuses on building partnerships with parents, community agencies, and other districts.

Matthew Rhoads, EdD, is an expert and innovator in educational technology and instructional strategy integration within online, blended, and traditional classroom settings. With a background in special education, he co-teaches regularly while coaching teachers and presenting professional development.

Hillary Woest is a presenter, staff developer, and practitioner with over 24 years of experience in public education. She specializes in supporting Professional Learning Communities at Work® and Response to Intervention at Work™ in schools by helping them assess, refine, and optimize current systems of support for special populations and challenging demographics.

Carrie Chapman, PhD, is a faculty member in the Educational Studies: K–12 and Secondary Programs Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is also the College of Education co-teaching coordinator.

Cate Hart Hyatt has spent more than 30 years as an educator, teaching preschool through graduate school students. She is a research associate for the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community at Indiana University.

With over 30 years of experience in K–12 education, author and education expert Jeanne Spiller is an associate with Solution Tree, supporting schools and districts through workshops, coaching, and collaborative initiatives to enhance instruction, foster innovation, and promote equity.

Discover how high school teacher Victoria Francis partnered with dyslexia tutor Yvonna Graham to integrate research-based supports for students struggling to read and comprehend high school texts. Learn how even the most resistant students responded when given access to readily available, low-cost tools that enabled full participation in classroom work.