“I wanted to make sure we were supporting the right students with the right kind of supports. The systems we created helped me become a stronger leader and delegate more effectively.”
—Amanda Arellano, Special Education Manager, LAMB PCS
When Amanda Arellano participated in our Elevated Leadership Service program (which provides year-long support to help develop special education leaders to be more effective), Amanda was able to meet with a coach from our team every two weeks.
“The program allowed me to organize myself so I could organize my team and make the decisions that supported student growth. Now I meet with my team regularly and do one-on-one’s with each member of my team. I have time built in my schedule to do observations and give direct feedback. My coach was my thought-partner and also helped me advocate for our school needs.”
With the Elevated Leadership Service Program, Amanda was able to establish clear and new roles for the team, establish ongoing observations and feedback opportunities for her team, develop a clear understanding of when students need an IEP or 504 plan, and provide increased access to professional development for the special education team. She was also able to create a sensory room for students and exit several students out of special education services.
With the support of this program, Amanda identified parent engagement and student empowerment as priorities, which will inform what she will focus on in the coming year.
“I realized I was so hard on myself because I was new to leading this work. I’ve been building myself up as a leader and this community empowers me: I know where I can ask questions and my confidence has increased. This work is ultimately about high-quality instruction in the least restrictive environment. What I didn’t expect was the increased collaboration we saw across the school, in service of all students.”
Interested in this kind of support? Here’s more information about our Elevated Leadership Service.
- Develop and implement a key special education project for your LEA, such as:
- Strengthening MTSS processes
- Rethinking continuum of services
- Redesigning special education professional development
- Receive personalized support on technical assistance, including:
- Fulfilling OSSE data requirements
- Setting up and maintaining compliance systems
- Creating data-drive progress monitoring
- Overseeing contracted services
- Understanding special education funding and budgeting
- Complying with Section 504 and English Learner (EL) compliance
Time Commitment: Special Education Leader: 5 hours per month; Supervisor: 4 hours per year
Cost: $7,000