Transition from Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE) to Kindergarten
Transition from Committee on Preschool Education to Kindergarten 1 hour 27 minutes
Presentation slides 730 Kb
Preparing for Your Child’s IEP Meeting 330 Kb
Understanding Your Child’s IEP: Keep it Simple 278 Kb
All About Me Handout 285 Kb
Image Description: White woman smiling towards the camera, wearing brown colored glasses and long, straight brown hair with bangs. She is standing in front of a white wall.
Beth Grier-Leva
Professional Development Specialist
Monroe BOCES #1
Beth Grier-Leva is a Professional Development Specialist for the New York State Mid-West Region Early Childhood Family and Community Engagement Center located at Monroe BOCES #1. She has been at Monroe #1 BOCES for the past eleven years providing support to families, early intervention, preschool providers through training and technical assistance on the New York State special education process. Before coming to Monroe #1 BOCES, she worked for over 20 years in the field of Early Intervention and Preschool as a social worker, service coordinator, evaluation team member and then as a program administrator for a Monroe County 4410 preschool program.
Image Description: White woman smiling towards the camera, wearing dark-colored glasses and long, wavy grey hair. She is standing outside with a brick wall behind her.
Barb Wischnowski
Resource and Referral Specialist
Monroe #1 BOCES
Barb Wischnowski joined Monroe #1 BOCES and the Early Childhood support contracts in July 2016. My title is Resource and Referral Specialist. Prior to joining Beth in 2016, she worked for more than 20 years in an Early Childhood Agency where she was the coordinator of the Preschool Evaluation Center and the preschool counseling services provided by our agency as well as Head Start Family Support services. She assisted parents and children through the preschool evaluation process, helping them gain access to preschool special education services from their school districts. Her background is school counseling and she helped families understand New York State Special Education services as well as helping them access supports from other community resources.
Self-Directed Services: What Families of Transition-Age Students Need to Know
Self-Directed Services: What Families of Transition-Age Students Need to Know 1 hour 30 minutes
Presentation slides 483 Kb
Image Description: Ibraheem is facing the camera, smiling with shoulder length, dark brown hair and a dark beard. He is wearing a blue suit and a button up white shirt under it. He is standing outside in front of a white, slatted fence.
Ibraheem Fakir, MS
Teacher for the Blind/Visually Impaired
Self-Directed Services Support Broker
Known amongst his friends as a food and travel adventurer, Ibraheem is often seeking out his next learning and teaching opportunity. Earning his BA in physics and his MS in special education, he is credentialed with New York State teaching licenses in physics, mathematics, and teaching students with visual impairments. Building meaningful curriculums and implementing functional service models are but a few of the things he is passionate about. He also serves as a New York State authorized self-direction broker and he uses his company Brooklyn Access to raise awareness in his community about services available to children with developmental disabilities.
Ibraheem is a friend to NYDBC and participates in various NYDBC-hosted events, such as the Community of Practice, Network of Teachers Working with DeafBlind Students (NTDB).
Graduation and High School Exiting Credentials in New York State
Graduation and High School Exiting Credentials in New York State 1 hour 29 minutes
Presentation slides 1.5 MB
Joanne LaCrosse
NYSED, Director of Special Education Services
Joanne LaCrosse has worked in the Office of Special Education (OSE) at the New York State Education Department (NYSED) since 2001. As NYSED’s Director of Special Education Services, she is responsible for overseeing Statewide policy development and implementation, dispute resolution, technical assistance, compliance monitoring and school improvement activities to ensure that New York State is prepared to meet the needs of students with disabilities ages 3 through 21. She is currently working with the Assistant Commissioner and OSE’s management team and staff to ensure provision of services consistent with NYSED’s Blueprint for Improved Results for Students with Disabilities, with a renewed focus on districts that have not met requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
She previously served as Chief of Special Education Services, Coordinator of Special Education Policy and Professional Development, Special Education Policy Supervisor and Associate in the Program Development and Support Services Unit. In these roles, Joanne was responsible for ensuring regulations, policies and guidance specific to the education of students with disabilities ages 3-21 were developed consistent with State and federal legislation; facilitating the redesign of NYSED’s technical assistance network; managing preschool special education program approvals; overseeing dispute resolution processes; and implementing accountability requirements under IDEA. Joanne is a former director of special education and special education teacher.
NYDBC is very pleased to welcome Joanne back to present to families and professionals on such a critical topic.
Understanding Pre-ETS & Transition Planning for Young Adults who are DeafBlind
Presentation slides 1 MB
Debbie Fiderer, Coordinator of Community Services Program
Helen Keller National Center