Presenters

Wayne Callender

Wayne Callender is an author and national RTI Consultant who has worked at the State, district and building levels improving educational outcomes. Wayne currently trains and advises educators across the country in the implementation of systems for school improvement, both on-site and through nationwide seminars. In addition to being featured as keynote speaker at over a dozen state and national conferences, Wayne has authored numerous articles, chapters and training books on the implementation of a School-Wide Approach to RTI and improved instructional practices.

Carrie Cole

One of Carrie's greatest strengths is her ability to communicate and demonstrate how to put the latest research into action in the “real world” classroom. She is a contributing author to the Teaching Reading Sourcebook (2nd Ed.), working for over two years on this project from conception to publication. This was a thought-provoking experience that allowed her the time to pour over the recent published research and then work with an amazing team to develop a thorough but concise graphic explanation of research-based content and best practices in reading instruction. Specifically, Carrie's experience with “real world” implementation issues gave her the background needed to work on several of the book’s lesson models, providing a bridge between the research and classroom.

Currently, much of Carrie's work consists of writing and delivering on-site professional development at the school, district, and state levels that is centered around fundamental knowledge in effective research-based reading instructional practices, based on the latest reading and writing research, with explicit connections to the Common Core Standards. Her biggest strength lies in working side-by-side with teachers to bridge the research to practice gap, bringing these research-based instructional strategies to the classroom in a very real way.

Linda Maass & Megan Morris

Linda Maass has worked as a school psychologist and special education administrator in Montana. Linda has been the Director of the Missoula Area Education Cooperative since 2001. She received a doctorate in education from the University of Montana in 2005; her dissertation examined federal appeals courts placement decisions and the least restrictive environment. Linda has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Montana in both the School of Education and the School Psychology Department, and has been an expert witness or consultant for school attorneys in special education due process hearings

Megan D. Morris attended the University of Montana School of Law and received her juris doctor with high honors in 2005. In 2008, Megan joined the Kaleva Law Office where she serves as counsel for school districts throughout Montana in all areas of school law. She regularly advises school districts in the areas of employment law, including employee misconduct, student rights and discipline, special education and federal programs, and transactional matters including contract preparation and negotiations. Megan provides litigation defense to school districts and their employees and trustees in federal and state courts, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings.

Megan is admitted to practice before all Montana courts, the United States District Court for the District of Montana, and the United States Appeal Court for the Ninth Circuit. She is a member of the Montana State Bar and the Council of School Attorneys. Megan has given numerous presentations in the areas of employment law and school law. Megan was named a Mountain States Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2014 in the area of School and Education.

Jenifer Cline

Jenifer Cline currently works in the special education division at the Montana Office of Public Instruction and has worked as a special education administrator for over nine years. She has a BA and a MA from Washington State University in Pullman and Spokane, WA. Jenifer continued her administrative education and received her administrative endorsement from Montana State University Billings.

Jenifer’s administrative experience includes both cooperative and school district education positions. She has been a director of a special education cooperative that serviced seven small school districts and a special education administrator for Great Falls Public Schools

Jenifer has also supervised special education and related service providers and special education programs district and cooperative level. She has extensive experience providing professional development at the school, district, and state level. Jenifer has presented on administrative topics for ASHA, CASE, MCASE, AERA and CEC. She is the coauthor of Data, Making it Meaningful and A Teachers Guide to Special Education

Angela Fraley

Angela Fraley, a Conscious Discipline Master Instructor, has over ten years of experience with Conscious Discipline, an intensely responsive presenting style, and over 20 years of experience in early childhood education. She has experience as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach, and as an early childhood program's training specialist. In the training specialist position, she trained teachers and staff, as well as worked with children and families in the Early Head Start and Head Start Programs of Community Action Project of Tulsa County. She also trained for Family & Children’s Services, Parents as Teachers, and other CAP collaborations. Angela completed her undergraduate work at the University of Central Oklahoma to obtain teaching certifications in Elementary Education, Early Childhood, and Mild to Moderate Disabilities. She completed her graduate work at the University of Oklahoma to earn a Master's Degree in Prevention Science and an IC & RC Certified Prevention Specialist credential

Visit https://consciousdiscipline.com/

Dr. Linda Karges-Bone

Dr. Linda Karges-Bone is a popular speaker at state and national conferences, including the National Title 1 Conference (five years running) and the National Differentiated Education Conference. Dr. Karges-Bone combines humor with the latest in brain-based research to deliver uniquely entertaining, enlightening presentations. Dr. Karges-Bone is the author of 34 books on parenting and education.

With a background (and teacher certification) in special education, early childhood education, and elementary education, as well as secondary school English, Dr. Karges-Bone has insight into curriculum, instruction, and assessment across all grade levels and learning needs. A successful teaching career in public and private schools, combined with 28 years as a respected, tenured faculty member (now Distinguished Professor) at an NCATE accredited university in South Carolina, and an earned doctorate from the University of South Carolina in Curriculum and Instruction, give Dr. Karges-Bone a wealth of experience that can transform your education site.

Barb Stimson

Barbara retired several years ago after 35 years as a special educator in public schools. Her areas of focus have consistently been those of meeting the diverse needs of students with significant support needs and positive teamwork opportunities for the equally diverse staff members supporting those students. Barbara has also worked for the past 15 years at the PARA Center at the University of CO at Denver as a specialist implementing curriculum specifically related to issues of teacher supervision and management of Para-educators and academic, research based curriculum for Para-educators

http://paracenter.org/paraeducators/co-top-curriculum

Rob Reynolds

Rob is a K-8 teacher and TLC – Technology and Learning Coach for Eureka public schools. He is a Certified Google Educator and has been a driving force in Eureka and other Montana schools in helping to adopt and implement the Google suite of collaborative tools for the past several years. He also works with the OPI as a technology consultant for the RTI program, assisting schools with automation and data collection tools. In addition, he currently teaches robotics electives at both the middle and high schools.

Leah Gardner

Leah has known from a young age that she was meant to work with people with disabilities. She graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science. She has worked for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children as a Child Life Specialist, Muscular Dystrophy Association as Patient Service Coordinator, United Cerebral Palsy in both Memphis, TN & Dallas, TX. In Memphis her work was focused on training and job placement of adults with all types of disabilities. In Dallas she was Director of Assistive Technology for a demo site of the Texas Technology Access Program. Leah earned her ATP (Assistive Technology Professional) Certification from RESNA (Rehabilitation and Engineering Society of North America) in 2014. Her passion has become communication and she has been instrumental in the lives of many people who cannot use their natural speech to get their needs met. She is a trainer for a communication app called Proloquo2Go and has conducted over 65 workshops to professionals and family members of users on Proloquo2Go. Leah believes that it is important to match the person with the communication system. Apps and devices are not one size fits all. Leah also knows American Sign Language.

Recently, Leah served a caseload of over forty individuals with intellectual challenges and their families as Service Coordinator for the HCS (Home and Community-Based Services) Medicaid Waiver program working for Lakes Regional Community Center, the local LIDDA. Leah lives east of Dallas in Heartland, Texas with her husband Mike; Philip, their adult ‘foster’ son who has disabilities, and a puppy named Buce.

Rhonda Birnie

In her 24 years in education Rhonda has taught bilingual kindergarten In Idaho, 4^th grade in Nevada and trained to focus on math at all levels.

In 2013 Rhonda became a Regional Mathematics Specialist for the Idaho Regional Math Centers. She has spent the last few years working closely with teachers and administrators to change mindsets about mathematics and to support those who help students explore and understand math.. She presents at conferences, regionally and nationally, and is a co-editor of Cartoon Corner, a regular column in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Middle School Journal. Looking at intervention and how students are initially identified, and then supported in their mathematics learning, is a particular area of focus for Rhonda. She also helps teachers learn to administer diagnostics that point to specific gaps in learning and then determine next steps for instruction.

Meg Cech

Meg Cech is a licensed presenter for Visual Phonics-See the Sound, ICLI-International Communication Learning Institute, Wisconsin. I began teaching Visual Phonics to my students in 1991. Visual Phonics worked so well and I saw so many gains with my students and in my school, I went through the licensure program and became licensed to present this wonderful technique/program from ICLI to others in 1996. I have continued to give workshops throughout the Northwest since that time. I recently retired in June 2016 after teaching in Montana for 38 years. I have taught all aspects of special education for 21 years and third grade for 17 years.

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