My background is in middle and high school teaching of learning disabled and emotionally handicapped students. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of West Florida in Learning Disabilities, a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Development from Troy State University, and an Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Learning Disabilities and certification in Educational Leadership from The University of West Florida. My certification areas are in Learning Disabilities, Counseling and Educational Leadership. My classroom experience includes serving as a Demonstration Teacher and trainer for The Strategic Instruction Model curriculum, an Endowment Chair teacher, a supervisor of student teachers, piloting the Varying Exceptionalities model, and serving as faculty sponsor for various clubs and The B. T. Washington Class of 1988. I have adjuncted at Pensacola Junior College and at The University of West Florida, presented at state and national conferences, and given many workshops throughout Northwest Florida in the areas of behavior management and strategic instruction. I've worked with FDLRS for 15 years as a trainer, and was privileged to be named the Support Person of the Year by The Council for Exceptional Children, Chapter 441. Serving FDLRS now as the grant coordinator, I am also the Department of Education Region I FDLRS Manager contact, representing three FDLRS Centers serving seventeen Northwest Florida counties. I also continue to train, with my current responsibilities including Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) training and Strategic Instructional Model (SIM) training.
My background is in elementary and high school teaching students with varying exceptionalities. I was also an Intervention Specialist for Escambia County for nine years. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in Mental Retardation. My certification is in the area of Mental Handicaps. My classroom experience includes teaching in VE classrooms at Woodham High and Hallmark Elementary. I was an Intervention Specialist at Escambia High for six years, and at Warrington Elementary for three years. While at Escambia High I served as the ESE Department Chair for three years. I joined the FDLRS/WESTGATE staff in June of 2003. My current responsibilities include Child Find for Escambia and Okaloosa Counties, Data Facilitator for the Children’s Registry & Information System (CHRIS), training Dealing with Differences, "Why Johnny Won't Behave" for pre-k providers, and training the "Grow to 5!" series throughout the FDLRS/Westgate region. I also serve as a facilitator for PDA-ESE Interpersonal Interactions and Participation Module (Online Course).
My background is in teaching students at the elementary level teaching students with varying exceptionalities. My most recent and memorable classroom experience is in Pre-K/ESE classroom at Holm Elementary. I obtained a Bachelors of Arts in Special Education in the areas of Emotional Handicaps and Mental Retardation. My areas of certification include Emotional Handicaps, Mental Retardation and Gifted Endorsement. I have enjoyed the past two and a half years as a Child Find Specialist with FDLRS. My current responsibility includes child find for Pre-K, private school and home school students primarily in Santa Rosa County. I am also responsible for training the “Grow to 5!” series and “Jack and Jill Won’t Behave, What Can I Do?” for preschool teachers. I am looking forward to expanding my training opportunities in the area of Math this year.
I obtained a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disturbance, and Varying Exceptionalities from Florida State University. My certification also includes Social Sciences, grades 6 to 12. I have had 13 years of teaching experience at the elementary, middle, and high school level with learning disabled and emotionally handicapped students in Georgia, California and Escambia County, Florida. While teaching at Escambia High School, I was Department Head for four years and started the Cooperative Consultation and co-teaching programs. I co-taught Marine Biology, English I, and Pre-Algebra and served as a consultant to general education teachers. As a FDLRS staff member, I was a trainer based in Santa Rosa County for seven years. My primary duties included trainings in the areas of behavior management, alternate assessment, reading, and transition. Currently, I serve as a Child Find Specialist and I administer developmental, vision, and hearing screenings to three to five year old children who may be in need of exceptional student education services in Escambia or Okaloosa County. I coordinate the referral process for private and home school students to access screenings and evaluations with the Escambia County School District. My training responsibilities include Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) and DIAL 3 Developmental Screenings.
I have had the honor and privilege of working at FDLRS/Westgate since it began in Escambia County thirty years ago in 1977. During that time I have had an opportunity to serve and work with parents, teachers and school personnel from Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, as well as a variety of educators from across the state of Florida. Prior to working with FDLRS I taught eight years in elementary and middle school regular and special education classes. I received recognition as Teacher of the Year while teaching special education at Ferry Pass Middle. I have a degree in Special Education from Appalachian State University and have received and provided training covering a wide span of topics: accommodations and modifications, learning styles, 4MAT, co-teaching, multiple intelligences, the brain, cooperative learning, cooperative consultation, paraprofessionals, parent training, curriculum mapping, inclusion, behavior management, learning centers, curriculum development, assessment, procedures, IEPs, learning strategies, classroom management, assistive technology, augmentative communication, reading, and the arts. I coordinate the VSAarts grant for Escambia that provides arts and cultural activities for exceptional students and sponsors exceptional student participation in VSA Day at the Greater Gulfcoast Arts Festival.
I began my teaching career in Escambia County in 1977. My classroom experience includes teaching elementary ESE students in resource room and self-contained settings and providing consultative services to general education teachers. I have also had the opportunity to work as a Teacher on Special Assignment in the ESE Department of Escambia County as an SLD diagnostician. My higher education was attained at The University of West Florida, where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education (Specific Learning Disabilities) and a Master’s degree in Clinical Teaching. During my career I have been privileged to receive recognition as McArthur Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Year for the local chapter of Council for Exceptional Children, and Endowment Chair for Special Education. I have served as an adjunct instructor at the University of West Florida and presented at state and national conferences. In 1998, I began working at FDLRS where I currently serve as a trainer focusing on the area of literacy instruction. Among other qualifications, I am a state certified trainer for Reading First, DIBELS and Differentiating Reading Instruction and routinely collaborate to provide training to parents, teachers and other school personnel.
I began my teaching career in the general education classroom in 1970, following graduation from the University of Alabama. I received my Masters Degree in Learning Disabilities in 1975 from the University of North Florida and began my teaching in exceptional student education in self-contained and resource classrooms. I have also taught with the Department of Defense system when we lived in Guantanamo Bay Cuba. I have taught ESE in Escambia county for 22 years. I was named Teacher of the Year at Ferry Pass Elementary in 2002. I am starting my 5th year here at FDLRS as Parent Services Specialist. I enjoy working with parents, helping them to help their special needs children. I also am involved in teacher trainings, and several agencies in our tri-county area. I am also a member of the Florida Speakers Bureau.
My background is in elementary school, teaching general education and gifted students. I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Education and Training Management and Instructional Technology, both from The University of West Florida. I recently completed my Specialist in Education degree in Educational Leadership at UWF and I am currently pursuing a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. My certification includes Elementary Education with Gifted endorsement and Educational Leadership. I taught in a general education fifth grade for three years at Barrineau Park Elementary and K-5 Gifted students in a resource model at Scenic Heights Elementary before joining FDLRS. I served as the school technology committee chair and coordinator at Barrineau Park and I served on the school technology committee for Scenic Heights. I am in my fourth year as the Instructional Technology Specialist for FDLRS/Westgate. I support Local Assistive Technology Specialists (LATS) providing device training, troubleshooting and follow-up to parents and teachers. I have presented at State and National conferences in the area of technology, literacy and Universal Design for Learning. I provide trainings in instructional and assistive technology and collaborate with district trainers to offer trainings in Reading and Math integrating technology into the curriculum.
My background and experience has been primarily in financial accounting. I obtained an Associate degree in Marketing from Pearl River Community College and am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting at The University of West Florida. I worked for seven years as the Office Manager/Financial Secretary at Pearl River Central Elementary School in Carriere, MS, and am now beginning my fourth year at FDLRS as the Administrative Secretary II/Office Manager. My primary duties include payroll, purchasing, budget management, travel and scheduling of conference rooms.
I grew up in northeast Ohio and attended Kent State University. Arriving at Kings Bay, GA, with my family in the early 80's, I went to work with Crooked River Elementary, obtaining a paraprofessional license. I came to the Pensacola area in the early 90's and started working at McArthur Elementary as a kindergarten paraeducator and then Navy Point. Most of my experience with Escambia County Schools has been as a "special areas" paraeducator and computer lab technician at Myrtle Grove Elementary where I worked for 11 years. I am starting my 5th year at FDLRS working as an Administrative Clerk II. My job entails assisting our Child Find Specialists in several capacities and entering information in the CHRIS/CITRIX database. I also maintain our resource lending library, available to teachers and parents in the tri-district area.
My experience with the Escambia County School District started in 1984 as Secretary to the Teachers as Advisors Program at Escambia High School. I also have 12 years experience as a Paraeducator working with students with special needs. In October I will be starting my fifth year as the Secretary/Receptionist for FDLRS/Westgate Associate Center. My primary duties are clerical in nature, including the management of the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services training database, and The FDLRS/Westgate Associate Center online registration database. I welcome all of our visitors to our center. I am known as "The voice of FDLRS."
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The Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System is funded by the state of Florida, Department of Education, Division of Public Schools and Community Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services, through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B; IDEA, Part B, Preschool; and State General Revenue funds.