Sept/Oct 2019

From the Executive Director...

It is an absolute honor to be able to welcome you to the 2019-20 School Year in the capacity of leading the Special Education and Health Services Department. I must admit that this is the time of year I especially miss being in a school building, closer to students. There is such anticipation in the air – new relationships, new instructional activities, and new routines. No matter what our job is in the District – that sense of new beginnings is in the air.

In the Special Education and Health Services Department we have many new staff we are welcoming and I would like to take some time to introduce them to you.

Section 504 services support and guidance moved from General Counsel to our department the previous year. This summer we were pleased to also bring back the crucial role that supports this work and the talented Jenny Crouch. Here are a few words from Jenny:

I am pleased to be back in the District 504 Coordinator position, a position which I formerly held for five years. I am a School Social Worker by license and worked in that capacity for 10 years at a K-8 school (now closed) and eight years at Patrick Henry H.S. I also spent a semester at Anne Sullivan as the MTSS/Sp Ed Lead. MPS is my home and the only district I've ever wanted to work in. What am I looking forward to? Case consultation, revising systems, collaboration with various departments, communicating with families, supporting equity work--essentially ensuring that building staff feel supported and confident in their 504 work and that students that have disabling medical and mental health conditions have equal access to their education.

We have had a new addition to our Elementary DPF team and her name is Jamis Rodriguez. I was especially impressed how Jamis jumped right in this fall to deliver professional development and welcome teachers to the new school year. Here are a few words from Jamis:

I have worked in MPS for over 10 years. My journey began as a Special Education Assistant. Since then I have attained two Master’s Degrees in Criminal Justice and Special Education and a teaching license in Specific Learning Disabilities. I would describe myself as a spunky, outgoing, driven self-starter that seeks to improve educational experiences and outcomes for our youth! I am a life-long learner that values partnerships and understands the importance of collaboration and working in tandem towards a collective goal.

It has been a long search and well worth the wait. I am so pleased to announce that Deeqa Hussein is our new Director of Special Education for half of the elementary programming. She has been a part of the MPS staff community and we welcome her to this new role. Here is a little bit of information about Deeqa:

Deeqa is excited and deeply grateful to have the opportunity to make a positive and impactful difference in our school district. As a previous general education teacher and special education teacher, she is enthusiastic to work with schools and collaborate with teams bringing thirteen years of experience in the field. Deeqa's previous 4 years in the Minneapolis school district as a SERT and then as an itinerant teacher, Deeqa has been committed to supporting and working alongside teachers, building leaders with evidence-based strategies for effective behavioral interventions. As she continues her commitment to our district and to our students, Deeqa hopes to learn from all of you.

The team that supports students that are homeless and highly mobile have joined our team and I could not be more thrilled. This team works relentlessly for our students and have important partnerships with Mayor Jacob Frey and the Stable Homes, Stable Schools. Here a few words from Charlotte Kingsley:

I've spent the last 20 years working with families who have experienced homelessness in shelter and supportive housing settings. I started in this role last February and am excited about the opportunity to partner with schools, parents and students to improve the educational experience of families facing housing instability. My vision is to advocate for a decrease in the number of students who face homelessness as a barrier while supporting and minimizing the impact on those who do. I am thrilled to be part of this team and look forward to learning from the good work you all are doing!

Keeping our students “safe and sound” is a goal of all of us in MPS, regardless of our role. Joining our team is Leslie Stunkard, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor who is passionate about providing support, education and encouragement for students, staff and families. A few words from Leslie:

My name is Leslie Stunkard and this is my ninth year working in MPS. I was raised in Minneapolis so, even though I now live in Wisconsin-Minneapolis is “home” to me.

I was a US Army medic and then trained at the University of Minnesota as a mechanical engineer. About 25 years ago, I went back to school for licensure in Alcohol & Drug Counseling and a graduate degree in counseling psychology. I have worked for Robbinsdale School District, Lutheran Social Services and Minneapolis School District.

This year, I am so excited to be connected with Special Ed & Health Services-the collaboration is seamless and allows me to “hit the ground running”. I am also intrigued to be in the Substance Use field as the information on vaping becomes more complete-I look forward to helping our students and community make informed decisions about this issue.

As we expand the services offered at the Professional Instruction Center, we are so fortunate to have Sarah Godfrey join the team as our reading instruction expert. Sarah brings both expertise in reading and leadership through her continuing education. Here are a few words from Sarah:

Hello! My name is Sarah Godfrey and I'm the new Special Education Literacy Lead. I've worked as a special education teacher in in federal settings I-IV and hold licenses in general education, special education and administration. During my time in Minneapolis Public Schools I taught at Harrison Education Center and Anthony Middle School. I look forward to partnering with Teaching and Learning to ensure access to core across settings and building our literacy intervention toolbox to help meet the needs of our unique students.

We have also expanded our services with our Blind and Visually Impaired students and are very excited to have Chris Caliguiri join our team.

Hello, I'm Christopher Caliguiri and this year, I transitioned into my new role as a Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired (TBVI) here in Minneapolis Public Schools. I've been a Special Education teacher since 2010. Then in 2014, I begin working for MPS as a SPED teacher when my wife and I moved here to Minneapolis. Before stepping into my new role, I was a DCD teacher at Roosevelt High School's ALPHA program for four years. I first learned about the nation-wide shortage of TBVI's in 2017 while evaluating paths to pursue my second masters’ degree and felt it was the right choice to make. I'm incredibly excited to work with the wonderful TBVI team here in MPS supporting our students with visual impairments and their educators.

Thank you for the opportunity to introduce our new colleagues to you and I hope you get a chance to meet them in the near future. We currently have two positions open with our High School Team – a District Program Facilitator and Itinerant Teacher. I hope you will consider these positions if this is an area of interest.

Finally, we are partnering with Human Resources in the recruitment of Special Education Assistants. This has been an area of need for us this fall and we will continue to support in getting these positions filled as quickly as possible. We were so pleased that this year we have had the majority of our teaching positions filled at the start of summer. We have a talented cohort of new teaching staff and we welcome them to their new positions.

Rochelle Cox

Executive Director of Special Education Services