Breaking Barriers in Education: Legally Defensible and Innovative Solutions for Students by Theresa Bracken

bracket — 2025-10-20 18:10:09 UTC

Terri Bracken

Director of Special Education and Student Services

Garnet Valley School District

Delaware County PA

2025-10-20 19:19:06 UTC

Timothy Luff

Superintendent

Norwood Public Schools

Massachusetts

2025-10-20 19:19:22 UTC

Lauren Madia

Upper St. Clair SD

Director of Pupil Services

2025-10-20 19:19:23 UTC

Kristin Gallahan, DCIU, Director of student Services. Hi friends!

2025-10-20 19:19:30 UTC

Stephanie Bradley

Director of Student Services

Olmsted Falls City Schools

Olmsted Falls Ohio

2025-10-20 19:19:37 UTC

Don Wilkinson

Director of Student Services in Hesperia, California

2025-10-20 19:19:46 UTC

Kylie Dennison Rebon- Bucyrus, OH school psych and assistant student services director.

2025-10-20 19:19:48 UTC

Debbie Gibbs-Tapper

Director of Special Education

Southeast Delco School District

2025-10-20 19:19:55 UTC

Brittany Linsenbigler

Director of Student Services

Sto-Rox School District

McKees Rocks, PA

2025-10-20 19:19:56 UTC

Trisha Reed

Director of Student Services

Ways to stay out of legal trouble!

2025-10-20 19:19:57 UTC

Stephanie Beaver

Director of Student Services

State College Area School District

2025-10-20 19:20:02 UTC

Jessica Dorion

District Special Education Supervisor

Lancaster City Schools (Ohio)

2025-10-20 19:20:04 UTC

Maryssa Stavros

Assistant to the Superintendent

Environmental Charter School

Pittsburgh, PA 15229

2025-10-20 19:20:08 UTC

Kimberly Fraser

Director of Student Services & Special Education

Lower Merion School District

2025-10-20 19:20:09 UTC

Lisa Hildebrand

Director of Student Services

Vandalia Butler. Ohio

2025-10-20 19:20:13 UTC

Lindsey Holeman

Director of Student Services

Bay Village Schools

Bay Village, Ohio

2025-10-20 19:20:22 UTC

Barbara Young

Supervisor of Special Education with Southeast Delco School District

2025-10-20 19:20:38 UTC

Kalthoum Gharbi

Wicomico County Public Schools, MD

PPW

2025-10-20 19:20:57 UTC

Greg Egnor

Director of Student Services

Burrell School District, PA

Currently involved in cyclical monitoring!

2025-10-20 19:22:18 UTC

Sonja Dashiell

Wicomico County Public Schools

Pupil Personnel Worker

2025-10-20 19:22:26 UTC

Tisheika Warner, Wicomico County Public Schools, Pupil Personnel Worker

2025-10-20 19:23:12 UTC

L Rodney Bennett

Education Consultant - KY Dept of Education

2025-10-20 19:25:27 UTC

Staff shortages

Alternative Placement - Chance Light

2025-10-20 19:25:35 UTC

Sophia Allmond

Director of School Support

Hertford County, NC

2025-10-20 19:26:04 UTC

Attendance issues with primary students.

My school was able to recognize four students who were chronically absent last year but have outstanding attendance this year.

2025-10-20 19:26:07 UTC

Litigious parents

Expanding and enhancing our MTSS process

2025-10-20 19:26:08 UTC

Attendance

Being able to support families in crisis and help them find the resources they need.

2025-10-20 19:26:37 UTC

Increase in placement referrals despite having intensive support rooms in district

2025-10-20 19:26:51 UTC

^{Challenge- having parents work collaboratively with IEP teams and trusting the process prior to retaining counsel}

^{Success- recruiting and retaining certified special education teachers}

2025-10-20 19:27:02 UTC

Not enough seats for our autism needs

Getting a truant high schooler to school!

2025-10-20 19:27:15 UTC

Consistent and clear systems of support K-12

Attendance

Mental health needs

2025-10-20 19:27:24 UTC

Challenge: increase in Newcomer English Learners / teacher development

Success: supporting students / families experiencing homelessness who had previously been resistant to assistance

2025-10-20 19:27:34 UTC

Challenge- challenging behaviors that are dangerous to students and staff, but do not rise to the level of observation when referred to crisis

2025-10-20 19:29:42 UTC

One challenge is having staff vacancies while the needs of students continue.

A recent win is a new principal who was ready for a change of placement mtg for a student with significant, recurring disruptive behaviors, but after completing an FBA, he and his staff discovered some of this student's behaviors resulted from his need to have more paper, pencil, hands on work and less assignments on the computer.

2025-10-20 20:33:48 UTC

Meeting with families one on one to determine supports needed to improve attendance.

2025-10-20 20:35:03 UTC

Meeting families in their homes or community where they feel safe.