ES3 Team Leaders
Each ES3 grant site has two imperative leaders of the work. The internal coach role is typically a teacher-level employee who either currently provides regular coaching meetings with individuals or teams or will be given time to do regular coaching meetings with individuals or teams. The district coordinator is a district level employee that oversees the procedures and policies affected by the work.
Internal Coach - School District of Beloit - CESA 2
My name is Eric Buchanan. I am a Program Manager for the Beloit School District. I taught in the cross categorical and self-contained setting in Beloit for over 20 years. Coaching is a new role for me. We are in the first year of the ES3 grant, and I am excited to learn about the coaching model. I will continue to build my knowledge and practice around coaching to be better able to support my staff in improving outcomes for all of their students.
District Coordinator - School District of Beloit - CESA 2
Eric Weier serves as the Director of Special Education & Student Services for the School District of Beloit. He has over 15 years in education teaching in self-contained settings, co-taught environments, and alternative learning models as well as serving as a Coordinator in Pupil Services prior to taking on the Director role. He has been with the School District of Beloit for one year and is excited to start the ES3 work with the district's core team.
Internal Coach - Oshkosh Area School District - CESA 6
I am Kelly Skifstad, Lead Program Support Coordinator for Special Education with Oshkosh Area School District. I have taught in a self contained middle school setting and elementary cross-cat. We are in year one of the ES3 grant and we have the will in place with our PST coaches and behavior support teachers. We are looking forward to building the skills and showing up with compassion and curiosity for our teachers.
District Coordinator - Oshkosh Area School District - CESA 6
I’m Linda Pierron from Oshkosh Area School District serving as DC in the first year of our ES3 grant. As Director of Special Education, I note how crucial SEL work is to improve outcomes & increase proportionate representation across all student populations. We are excited for this journey!
Internal Coach - Sheboygan Area School District - CESA 7
My name is Kristin Menart and I am a Program Support Teacher and ES3 grant coach for the Sheboygan Area School District. This is my 15th year working in the field of special education and have worked with early childhood through middle school aged students over the years. I love that I am continually learning from the students and staff I work with. I am excited to support the work of our grant teams and see how it impacts our students, classrooms and district practices.
District Coordinator - Sheboygan Area School District - CESA 7
I am Jason Ledermann and I serve as the Director of Special Education and Pupil Services for the Sheboygan Area School District. I am very excited to have our district be a member of the ES3 Grant. We look forward to supporting our students and staff through this grant and to the sustainable impacts this work will have.
Internal Coach - DC Everest School District - CESA 9
Hello! My name is Rachael Kostka and I am a Program Support Teacher for the DC Everest School District. I am also an Internal Coach for the ES3 grant this year. This is my first year in a coaching position, however I have over 25 years experience working in the field of Special Education. I am excited to learn more about the transformational coaching model and can not wait to see the positive impact it will have on our students, staff and families.
District Coordinator - DC Everest School District - CESA 9
Hi! My name is Julie Weller and I am the Assistant Director of Special Education for the D.C. Everest School District in Weston, WI. Prior to this position, I was a Program Support Teacher for PK-12 for four years and a Learning Disabilities teacher at our Senior High for twelve years. I am very excited to have our district be a member of the ES3 Grant and look forward to the professional learning our teachers and staff will engage in over the next three years.
Internal Coach - Greendale School District - CESA 1 nikki.ortloff@greendaleschools.org
My name is Nikki Ortloff and I am the K-8 Behavior Support Specialist in the Greendale School District. It is my first year as a participant in the ES3 grant, and I am excited for this opportunity and journey. This is my 24th year in special education. I have been in a special education teacher role for 23 years, and now work in the Behavior Support role, which was a newly created position in our district! Working with students who have behavioral challenges has always been a passion of mine, and so I feel very fortunate to serve in this role. Personally, I have a daughter who attends UW-La Crosse and a son who is a sophomore year in high school.
District Coordinator - Greendale School District - CESA 1
Rachel C. Ledezma- I’m beginning my second year working as the Director of Pupil Service in Greendale. In this role, I am responsible for the coordination and delivery of special education, related services, and pupil services (school psychology, social work, and counseling). I also oversee services provided to students and families that meet eligibility under Section 504, McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, English Language Learner, and Gifted & Talented programming. I have also worked in the Sheboygan Area School District where I served as the Coordinator of Special Education and as a program coordinator and special education teacher in other Southeastern Wisconsin districts. I’m a proud mother of a 14 year old son and a wife.
District Coordinator - CESA 5 Alternative Programs mccoyt@cesa5.org
Hello, my name is Terry McCoy, and I currently serve as the Assistant Director of Special Education for CESA 5. Before beginning at CESA 5 four years ago, I was a Cross-categorical teacher for twenty-two years and a Program Support teacher for two more. One of my roles at CESA 5 is Supervisor of Alternative Education, in which we have 7 programs and 5 sites throughout the region. This has allowed our team to interact with 35+ school districts both in and outside of CESA 5. The skills we are learning will not only build the capacity of our Alternative Education teams, but they will also benefit students, teachers and administrators throughout the state.
Internal Coach - CESA 5 Alternative Education Program betchera@cesa5.org
Hello! My name is Amanda Betcher. I currently work for CESA 5 as an In-District Director of Special Education in Pardeeville, and as a Coordinator for CESA 5 Alternative Education Programs (JCAP, COMAN/ REACH, SCAN). For the past 12 years, I have worked with Special Education students in one capacity or another. Much of this time was spent in elementary EBD or Behavior Intervention positions, before moving into a leadership role with CESA 5. This is my first year with the ES3 grant and I look forward to finding ways to support the districts we work with to meet the needs of all learners.
Internal Coach - CESA 5 Alternative Education Program werchl@cesa5.org
Hi all! I’m Leah Werch and I work for CESA 5 as a Coordinator of Alternative Education Programs (WCAP, WCAP-E, WCAS), a Coordinator of Classrooms for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (Rio, Fall River), and as an In-District Special Education Director for Rio. I have worked in a variety of educational institutes and special education positions. I have had experiences working with students of all ages from varied backgrounds, skill sets, and needs This is my first year participating in the ES3 grant and I am looking forward to finding ways we can better support our students, families, staff, and district stakeholders.
Hello, my name is Amy Wachewicz and I proudly serve as the Seymour Community School District’s Pupil Services Director. I began my educational journey 20 years ago as a school psychologist and have been a Director for the past 14 years. This is our first year working with the ES3 team and we are very excited about the potential it provides! Our staff, and most importantly, our students will benefit from the possibilities stemming from the receipt of this grant.
Internal Coach - Seymour Community School - CESA 7 jhill@seymour.k12.wi.us
I am Jackie Hill, Program Support Teacher (PST) for Seymour Community School District and will be serving as one of the Internal Coaches for the ES3 grant. Prior to being a PST I was an elementary cross categorical special education teacher for 10 years. We are currently in year one of our ES3 grant and I am excited to continue to build my coaching skills and support teachers and students. I am a strong advocate of inclusive practices and I look forward to building our teachers’ capacities to provide optimal learning environments to meet students’ academic, behavioral, and social emotional needs.
Internal Coach - Seymour Community School - CESA 7 jsiudzinski@seymour.k12.wi.us
Hello :) My name is Jen Siudzinski, Student Success Facilitator and first year ES3 grant coach for Seymour Community School District. In my 25 years of educational service, I have been a school counselor, at-risk program coordinator, and a cross-categorical and EBD special education teacher. I have taught K-12 students in both public school and mental health/juvenile corrections settings. I am a passionate advocate for student wellness and comprehensive programs that support the whole child with regard to academic, social/emotional and career success. I look forward to continuing to build my knowledge and practice around coaching while supporting my colleagues in our efforts to enhance our systems relative to social-emotional learning.
Hello! My name is Alyssa Carlson, and I’m the Director of Curriculum and Reading Specialist for the School District of Elcho. This is our first year with the ES3 grant. We are looking forward to enhancing our systems to better support students and staff.
Internal Coach -Elcho School District- CESA 9
Hi! I’m Lexi Retzlaff. I work for CESA9 as an Associate Director of Student Services and a School Psychologist. For the past 8 years, my work has been advocating for students with disabilities and coaching teams on best practices. With the support of the ES3 Grant, we are looking forward to enhancing our practices to best meet the needs of our neurodiverse students in the Elcho School District.
Past Leaders - If their email is given, feel free to contact them!
Internal Coach - Franklin Public Schools District - CESA 1 heike.logic@franklin.k12.wi.us
My name is Heike Logic, I currently serve as a Special Education Systems Specialist for Franklin Public Schools. This is my first year of coaching under the ES3 grant. Previously, I worked in a consultant role as a Program Support Teacher for over 25 years. Through the support of the grant, I am working to shift my practice to a coaching role, which I find challenging, yet rewarding and highly beneficial. My coaching mission is to partner with teachers and teams so they can achieve or exceed their goals and maximize the growth of ALL students.
District Coordinator - Franklin School District - CESA 1
christine.cody@franklin.k12.wi.us
Hello, my name is Christine Cody, proud Director of Student Services in Franklin Public Schools. Prior to serving as Director, I enjoyed leading and advocating for equitable learning experiences for all students alongside staff as an elementary principal, middle school associate principal and middle school teacher. The ES3 grant experience supported our District Coherence Plan as we put our values of equity, stewardship and wellbeing into action. Our ES3 teams have shifted their beliefs, applied evidence-based practices and developed systems that built our collective efficacy in order to sustain our commitment to closing the gaps and creating authentic belonging for all students in our school community.
Internal Coach - Shawano School District - CESA 8 jguenther@shawanoschools.org
Jodi Guenther serves as the Middle School School Social Worker. She has been with the Shawano School district for the past 23 years and has had the opportunity to work at Pk-4 through 12th grade. Throughout her years, Jodi has served as Internal Coaches for PBIS, SEL, Autism Behavioral Consultation Team, and Mental Health. Prior to working with the Shawano School District, she was a county social worker for 7 years working with children, families, juvenile justice, and providing intense wrap around supports for all. This is Jodi’s 3rd year with the ES 3 Grant. My greatest joy has been to work with students and families and to coach staff on social and emotional learning. It has been a wonderful three years supporting staff as they implement the strategies and methods that ES 3 grant has provided!
District Coordinator - Shawano School District - CESA 8
Kim Klister is the Pupil Services Director for the Shawano School District. Kim’s journey in teaching special education began 25 years ago. She taught special education at the middle school level for 18 years before she started her role as a director. Kim has worked with the state on the Autism Mini -Grant which allowed her district to increase the awareness and understanding of staff regarding neurodiverse students. She is happy to be serving with Terri Schultz and their ES3 team as they enhance and build capability for staff around the ever increasing population of students with neurodiverse needs.
Internal Coach - Cadott School District - CESA 10 kenta@cadott.k12.wi.us
My name is Angela Kent. I am the Instructional Coach for Cadott Elementary. This is my 24th year with the district and my 2nd year as Instructional coach/GT coordinator. I am looking forward to becoming a better trained coach and helping our elementary grow in the area of SEL development. The ES3 grant will help us make system changes to enhance our current reality. I am excited to see improved outcomes for all of our students.
District Coordinator - Cadott School District - CESA 10 lesikm@cadott.k12.wi.us
My name is Missy Lesik, and this is my fifth year as the Director of Special Education and Pupil Services for the Cadott Community School District. Prior to this position, I taught middle school cross-categorical special education. This is the second year that Cadott has been engaged in the ES3 grant activities. Our grant team and district have really benefited from the opportunities and professional development that we are engaging in to build capacity and make changes that will improve outcomes for not only students with IEPs, but all students.
Internal Coach - Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated Grade School District - CESA 2
My name is Kelli Hutchinson and this is my first year as a School Counselor and ES3 coach at Trevor-Wilmot School. I received my Bachelor's of Science from UW-Green Bay in Psychology and then received my Master's in Counseling from Adler University in Chicago. My personal goal in life is to positively influence as many individuals as I can by creating opportunities and promoting successful futures. I also really enjoy the outdoors and any outdoor activity with my crazy golden retriever, Wrigley.
District Coordinator - Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated Grade School District - CESA 2
Jenny Loveless is a Pupil Services Director for the Trevor-Wilmot Consolidated Grade School District. This is Jenny’s 20th year in the district. Her background is in teaching special education, which she did for 17 years before taking a leadership position within the district. Jenny is gaining knowledge regarding coaching as part of her role as the District Coordinator for the Social and Emotional Learning Grant (ES3). The work the team has been able to do as a result of the grant has been inspiring and extremely exciting. Jenny has a passion for all things special education, advocacy, and equity for all.
Internal Coach - Potosi School District - CESA 3
My name is Amy Foote and this is my 24th year as a School Counselor. I spent the first 22 at the high school level and am now entering my second year as a 7th-12th grade counselor. I’m so excited that Social Emotional Learning is at the forefront of education today! I have to say that small group counseling with students is my favorite way to counsel students. Through the ES3 grant, I have learned so much about coaching adults. I am enjoying mentoring teachers as they learn SEL practices.
Internal Coach - Potosi School District - CESA 3 helmket@potosisd.k12.wi.us
Tiffany Helmke has joined the Potosi School District this year as a Social Emotional Learning Coach. In her role, she works directly with elementary students, but also has a district-wide focus in coaching staff and continuing to enhance Potosi’s already strong social and emotional system. Prior to this role she worked as a School Psychologist in rural and urban settings for 14 years. She is passionate about developing strong social, emotional and academic systems so that all students, staff, and families can celebrate endless successes throughout their lives.
District Coordinator - Potosi School District - CESA 3
Tammy Cooley has been an educator for the past 23 years. She has worked in southwest Wisconsin her entire educational career and has served as a School Psychologist, School Counselor, Elementary Principal, RtI Coordinator, and Director of Pupil Services. She is presently employed with Potosi School District where she is the Director of Pupil Services, ESSA Coordinator, and School Psychologist. Tammy is a passionate advocate for students who strives to foster a collaborative, inclusive and supportive school culture where all students and staff receive what they need when they need it so that each individual can grow and learn to their highest capacity.
Internal Coach - Lacrosse School District - CESA 4 Rhawes@lacrossesd.org
Resa Hawes - I am a Program Support Coordinator for the School District of La Crosse. I specialize in autism and intellectual disabilities. This is my third year in this district-wide program support position. Before taking this position, I spent 18 years as an intellectual disabilities teacher in an elementary school. This is my first year serving as a coach. I am excited to learn and grow as a coach with my peers around the state. The possibilities that come along with the ES3 grant are very exciting. I am looking forward to using the grant to grow our district and school-based practices and improve outcomes for all students. My vision is that all students will get to experience a high-quality education, be treated with dignity and live in a world where their talents and skills are appreciated and valued.
Internal Coach - Two Rivers School District - CESA 7 maren.slickman@trschools.k12.wi.us
Maren Slickman is a Special Education Program Support Teacher for the Two Rivers School District. As a PST, she has had the opportunity and pleasure of learning about the coaching model. This journey began six years ago when the Two Rivers School District was a part of Allies in Autism Education, a three-year coaching partnership through CESA 6. Since that time, her knowledge and passion around coaching has grown and she has become a firm believer in the coaching framework as it applies to teaching. Among authors and leaders who have inspired her are Jim Knight, Elena Aguilar, and Brene’ Brown.
Internal Coach - Two Rivers School District - CESA 7
My name is Rachel Kaderabek. I am a Program Support Teacher and Coach for the Two Rivers School District. Coaching is a new role for me. Prior to this position, I taught cross categorical special education for eleven years. It’s been exciting and a bit overwhelming learning about the coaching model. I am eager to continue to build my capacity around coaching in order to be able to support my colleagues and in turn improve access, engagement and outcomes for all students.
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