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My professional journey began over 25 years ago as a school psychologist working primarily in special education.

While I initially focused on individual student needs, my career evolved, bringing me to leadership roles as a district special education coordinator, elementary principal, and assistant superintendent. This transition into general education administration was driven by a commitment to influence school-wide systems and ultimately, to ensure high-quality instruction for all students, especially those receiving special education services.

My current role as Superintendent is still deeply informed by this commitment. The achievement gap for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) is often substantial, and critical transition outcomes, such as graduation rates, frequently remain low. When I arrived in my current district in 2018, our overall graduation rates were among the lowest in the state. Today, I am proud to share that our graduation rate is 98%, consistently exceeding the state average in recent years. A primary catalyst for this success has been our intentional focus on improving services and outcomes for students with disabilities.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates that students with IEPs must be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), meaning they are fully included with their non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, supported by aids and services. Achieving LRE is not just about physical placement; it is also about the quality of the specialized instruction delivered within that setting. 

School district leaders have an obligation to set a tone of high expectations and collaboration, ensuring special education staff feel supported, not isolated. An IEP must be viewed as a service, not a label that defines a child or limits their opportunities within the general education curriculum.

Our district has implemented several strategies to drive this systemic improvement:

• Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS): We have developed a comprehensive MTSS framework. Even in times of financial strain, we prioritized this system to ensure students receive tiered supports quickly, preventing inappropriate referrals for special education services. Not every student who struggles has a disability; a robust MTSS ensures supports are effective and monitored.

• Team-Teaching Training: We provide training for both general and special education teachers, particularly at the secondary level. Simply placing two teachers in a classroom is insufficient. Our training moves special education staff beyond acting as paraprofessionals or behavior support and focuses on genuine collaboration that assists in differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all learners.

• Professional Learning Communities (PLCs): We invest in training and supporting our staff and principals on highly effective PLC systems. These collaborative teams, which fully integrate special education and MTSS staff into PLCs, are essential for ensuring services are aligned with academic goals. Dedicated time for special education and classroom teachers to plan together ensures team-teaching is maximized.

I continually emphasize to our staff that for students with IEPs to perform with their peers on state and local assessments, they must receive high-quality, grade-level standards-based instruction from content area teachers. To truly achieve LRE, we must challenge the cultural barriers within our schools. School district leaders have an obligation to set a tone of high expectations and collaboration, ensuring special education staff feel supported, not isolated. An IEP must be viewed as a service, not a label that defines a child or limits their opportunities within the general education curriculum.

Reflecting on the following questions can help determine if your school culture genuinely supports LRE:

• Do staff use language like "your students" and "my students," or do they recognize a collective responsibility for all students?

• Do staff discuss special education as a "place" students go, or as a "service" provided where needed?

• Do staff focus primarily on a child's strengths and how to build upon them, or only on their limitations?

A positive school culture must be grounded in the belief that all children can be successful. We must foster a collective commitment among staff that we have the power to change a child's academic trajectory, rather than attributing outcomes to external factors that are often out of our control.

The 50-year legacy of IDEA means more than just compliance; it demands a culture of high expectations for all students, including those with disabilities.

As I reflect on the past five decades of IDEA, the persistent achievement gap for students with disabilities indicates that our work is far from complete. To truly fulfill the promise of IDEA, we need legislative support that:

• Creates financial incentives to address the critical staffing shortages in the field of special education. We must attract high-quality teachers that are committed to serving this population.

• Provides increased funding to allow lower caseloads so special education staff can dedicate more time to planning and addressing the needs of our most vulnerable students, rather than being consumed by paperwork demands.

• Invests in robust MTSS systems to ensure learning challenges are addressed immediately and effectively. 

The 50-year legacy of IDEA means more than just compliance; it demands a culture of high expectations for all students, including those with disabilities. For me and our district, this legacy is a continuous commitment to create school systems of high-quality instruction where ALL students thrive.