Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 - 2012 Presenters

Featured Speaker Salome Thomas El is a national education expert and consultant. He was a teacher and principal with the Philadelphia School District from 1987-2009. He received national acclaim as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School, where his students have gone on to win world recognition as Eight-Time National Chess Champions. Principal EL is a regular contributor on “The Dr. Oz Show” and the author of the best-selling books, I Choose to Stay, about his Vaux Middle School experience, and The Immortality of Influence, which stresses the importance of mentoring, parenting, and service to others. The Walt Disney Company optioned the movie rights to I Choose to Stay. Principal EL speaks to groups across the country and frequently appears on C-SPAN, CNN, and NPR Radio.

He is a graduate of East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and is currently a doctoral candidate. Principal EL lives in Delaware County, PA with his wife and two young daughters. He has received the Marcus A. Foster Award as the outstanding School District Administrator in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania’s distinguished Martin Luther King Award. Principal EL was honored as a Reader's Digest Magazine, "Inspiring American Icon" and recently appeared on The Oprah Radio Network.

Keynote Address: Cultivating Excellence Through Planting Seeds of Resiliency
Self-efficacy is not about teaching students to be successful, but teaching them how to be resilient when they are not successful.

Q & A with Principal El – AM Session A16
Principal El will meet with participants in this informal Q&A session.

Featured Presenters

Dr. Cheryl Dellasega earned her Ph.D. in health education and counseling, and has worked clinically as a nurse practitioner. She is an expert on relational aggression (RA), a form of bullying used by females. She is the author of five nonfiction books on issues affecting women. As the founder of Club and Camp Ophelia™, she has helped diverse groups of girls confront and overcome relational aggression. As a Professor of Humanities in the College of Medicine and Professor of Women’s Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Dellasega teaches medical students in the Department of Humanities and conducts research on psychosocial issues. She is an international expert on family relationships and completed a visiting professorship in Sweden. She has been a consultant to the Girl Scouts of the USA and Mattel Corporation’s We Believe in Girls initiative. She has spoken to thousands of adults and youth across the country about female relationship issues.

Dr. Corinne Eisenhart has dedicated over three decades to excellence in education as a teacher, elementary principal, researcher, curriculum specialist, consultant, author, and college professor. The recipient of an Honors Fellowship to the University of Virginia, Dr. Eisenhart received her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, focusing on early childhood education and literacy. She was appointed the Early Childhood Advisor to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by former Governor Tom Ridge. Dr. Eisenhart is currently a member of the faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership and Special Education at Shippensburg University. She teaches graduate courses in curriculum and instruction, supervision, diversity, and school leadership, as well as supervising principal interns. Additionally, she is a Senior Research Associate for RMC Research Corporation, providing consultation and professional development in scientifically-based reading research, literacy instruction, and educational leadership to state departments of education and school districts throughout the United States.

Dr. Judi Harris is a professor and the Pavey Family Chair in Educational Technology at the School of Education at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she coordinates the Curriculum and Educational Technology doctoral program. Her research focuses upon the development of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK); strategies for curriculum-based educational technology professional development; and tele-mentoring, including professional learning and support for new teachers online. She has authored more than 210 articles/chapters/papers and five books on curriculum-based tele-computing and professional development for teachers in educational technology. Her "activity structures" method of designing and implementing curriculum-based tele-collaborative and tele-research learning activities, first published in 1993, is used by K-12 teachers and teacher educators worldwide. Dr. Harris presents sessions regularly at state, national, and international educational computing and research conferences.

Ms. Nancy Hennessy is an educational consultant, an experienced teacher, diagnostician, administrator, and past president of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). While in public schools, she provided leadership in the development of innovative programming for special needs students, a statewide revision of special education code, and an award winning professional development initiative. Her publications include articles and chapters on a range of topics including the dyslexic experience, a model high school program for dyslexic students and mentoring. She recently co-authored Module 6 of LETRS, Digging for Meaning: Teaching Text Comprehension (2nd edition) with Louisa Moats and the chapter on Word Learning and Vocabulary Instruction, in Multisensory Teaching of Basic Skills (3rd edition). She is a national trainer for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) and an adjunct instructor with Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Ms. Susan Peoples has been an educator for over 35 years with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and graduate studies. She is a research clinician, author, and parent of a child with Down syndrome. Ms. Peoples has spent the past 15 years exploring, evaluating, and designing curricular materials and methods to improve the educational experience of children with Down syndrome and other developmental delays. She is the author of Stars of Success: Understanding How Children with Down syndrome and Other Developmental Delays Learn. She has also created several reading series, spelling, phonetic and handwriting programs designed to improve the inclusion of children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities in the educational setting.

About the Presenters

Ms. Michele Byers is currently a fourth and fifth grade teacher for the School District of Lancaster. She received her master’s degree from Eastern Mennonite University and has been practicing responsive classroom for the past six years, more recently, attending the Responsive Classroom Conference

Ms. Tracie Carter is a graduate of Ithaca College with a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology. She is employed by Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 as an itinerant autistic support teacher providing social skills instruction, and social and emotional regulation for students in grades K-12. Previously she worked as a primary autistic support classroom teacher.

Mr. Steve Cicioni graduated from Bloomsburg University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He taught mathematics at Manheim Township School District and the School District of Lancaster. Mr. Cicioni has been involved in providing professional development on a variety of topics for teachers ranging from third grade through high school for the past thirty years. He currently is an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1996 he was awarded a doctorate in educational administration from Syracuse University.

Mr. Tim Erson is a graduate of Columbia University’s Physical Therapy program. He holds a Neurodevelopmental Treatment Association (NDTA) certificate in pediatrics and has served as the pediatric representative to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) committee on health promotion. Mr. Erson is the author of Gross Motor Activities for the Inclusive and Special Needs Classroom and the creator of the award winning Courageous Pacers Classroom Fitness Program. He speaks from more than 25 years of practical experience in preschool through high school and center-based programs. He has presented professional development programs to physical and occupational therapists, special education and preschool professionals in 28 states.

Ms. Christy Foote is the Regional Director of Autism Services for the Autism Education and Research Institute (AERI) Behavioral Health Services in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Her experience and love of working with children and families began as a therapeutic staff support (TSS) where she completed her Discrete Trial training at the Lovaas Institute of New Jersey. After receiving her master’s degree in clinical psychology, she spent time as a behavioral health rehabilitation services coordinator. Ms. Foote has experience with both adults and children in the areas of addiction, cognitive behavior therapy, and applied behavior analysis. She is currently obtaining her board certification in behavior analysis.

Mr. David Gates has been representing families and adult consumers regarding issues involving Medical Assistance and other forms of health insurance since 1976. He is currently the senior attorney and policy director for the PA Health Law Project representing persons with developmental and behavioral disabilities and their families under a grant from the PA Developmental Disabilities Council. Mr. Gates has won the Rose Rosa Advocacy Award from the Montgomery County ARC in 1996 and the Striving from Excellence Awarded from PA Legal Services in 1999 and 2009. He is a member of the Boards of Autism Living and Working and the PA Assistive Technology Foundation.

Ms. Karen Grammas has been working in the field of special education as a teacher and consultant for the past 18 years. She previously worked for Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 providing training and consultation to educational teams working with students that have autism spectrum disorders and including students with disabilities in general education settings. Ms. Grammas is currently employed by the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) as an educational consultant for the autism and inclusive practices initiatives.

IU 13 BrainSTEPS Team was formed in the fall of 2008. It currently consists of a cognitive rehabilitation therapist who is the director of Acadia Rehabilitation Center, a school psychologist, a school nurse, a parent, an office of vocational rehabilitation counselor, and special education consultants. During the past four years, the team has provided more than 50 trainings to local school districts, personnel, families, county nurses association, county social workers, and other community service providers. The mission of the team has been to increase awareness and an understanding of brain injury, including concussions, as well as provide strategies for supporting students with brain injury to achieve optimal success.

Ms. Melissa Jeffers is a graduate of Kutztown University with a degree in special and elementary education. She received her master’s degree in educational leadership from Ashford University. Ms. Jeffers is an employee of Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 and is currently a special education consultant with the training and consultation team. She has worked in school-based programs, center-based programs, and as an itinerant autistic support teacher.

Ms. Shirley Kensey is a literacy instructional coach for the School District of Lancaster. She received her master’s degree from Millersville University and is currently writing her dissertation on the effects of the responsive classroom approach on school discipline. Ms. Kensey has been practicing responsive classroom for the past six years and has attended the Responsive Classroom Conference

Ms. Emily Key is an Associate Trainer with the Pennsylvania Training Partnership for People with Disabilities and Families. She helps families understand how to navigate a complex government system for individuals with disabilities. Ms. Key is the parent of a son with hearing loss and a learning disability.

Ms. Karen McCarthy has been teaching for the past 14 years as a special education teacher, technology coach, and a gifted education teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Millersville University and a master’s degree of education in technology from Philadelphia University. Ms. McCarthy is currently a teacher for the School District of Lancaster.

Ms. Lisa Mumma is the mathematics supervisor at Conestoga Valley School District. Her responsibilities as math supervisor include, aligning the math curriculum to academic standards, staff development, supervision of secondary math teachers, data analysis, and coordinating assessments. Prior to her current position, Ms. Mumma taught high school mathematics for 17 years.

Dr. Gina Scala is the chair of the Special Education/Rehabilitation department at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and teaches in the undergraduate and graduate programs. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Dr. Scala is a partner in the Professional Development School model across various university programs. She has been reappointed to the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP) for her second term by the Governor of Pennsylvania and has been appointed to a variety of task force and committee groups for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Prior to becoming a faculty member at East Stroudsburg, she worked at Centennial School and Lehigh University as a teacher, liaison, supervisor, and acting director. Dr. Scala received her bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University and her master’s, educational specialist, and doctorate degrees of education from Lehigh University. She presents frequently at many venues at state and national levels.

The School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) Team at Bonfield Elementary has been implementing a school-wide behavior approach for the past four years. The team consists of the principal, school counselor, school psychologist, learning facilitator, and three teachers.

Ms. Sandy Strunk has worked for Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 for 24 years as a teacher, professional developer, program supervisor, and program director. As program director for Community Education, she supervised the Adult Basic and Literacy Education Program as well as the Head Start and Pre-K Counts classrooms in Lebanon County. In 2009, she accepted the position of program director for Fund Development at IU 13 where she currently provides leadership for the IU 13’s communications, grant writing, marketing, and media relations functions. She serves as director of the Lancaster-Lebanon Education Foundation and serves on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Keystones to Opportunity Leadership Team.

Ms. Lisa Tesler serves as the Eastern Region Coordinator and a Master Trainer for the Pennsylvania Training Partnership for People with Disabilities and Families. Like all of the trainers for the Partnership, Ms. Tesler has a family member with a disability. She has provided training on Inclusive Education, the Mental Retardation System in Pennsylvania, and Social Justice in Education for Students with Disabilities. She has served on the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Education for All Coalition, participated in the Pennsylvania Autism Task Force, and was a leader in the Harrisburg Area Chapter of the Autism Society of America.

Mr. Michael Thompson retired as a counselor/educator after 36 years from his position, in the Middletown Area School District in Pennsylvania. Since 2005, Mr. Thompson has been active in the Career Leaders’ Network through the Pennsylvania College of Technology. With Mr. Thompson’s leadership, the Pennsylvania School Counselors Association, with assistance from Education Trust in Washington, DC, developed the “Pennsylvania Companion Guide to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model”. Mr. Thompson continues to serve in a consulting capacity in the area of career development and program implementation in the Capital Region and for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is currently employed by Central Penn College in Summerdale, Pennsylvania in Career Services.

The Wharton School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) Presentation Team is represented by Jacqueline Hair, principal, Stephanie Bridgehouse, school counselor, and Angie Koser, instructional coach for Wharton Elementary in the School District of Lancaster. Ms. Hair holds a master’s of education in elementary education from Millersville University as well as her principal’s certification from Penn State University. Ms. Bridgehouse has her master’s in education in counseling from Millersville and is continuing her education to become a certified play therapist. Ms. Koser holds her masters of education in language and literacy from Millersville as well as English as a second language and reading specialist certifications. In collaboration with several other Wharton educators, this team has launched their building’s school-wide positive behavior interventions and support system in August of 2011.

Mr. Matt Witmer is an Instructional Technology Coach for IU 13 within the Early Childhood and Special Education Services department. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a graduate degree in school psychology, and from Saint Joseph’s University with a graduate degree in instructional technology. Mr. Witmer has worked as a school psychologist in various center-based, private school, and regular education settings. For the past three years, he has worked with various IU 13 initiatives to increase technology usage for learning, collaborating, accountability, and data collection with staff and students.