Stacey Lillis is the resource teacher for special education (RTSE) and coordinator for Tilden Middle School's Secondary Learning Centers.  Stacey began her career as a special education teacher at Bethesda Elementary School after earning her masters degree in Special Education from the University of Maryland at College Park. She then worked as a Staff Development Teacher before joined the team at Tilden Middle School. With a dedicated staff of over 30, she has worked hard to provide leadership during a year of many changes. Stacey is dedicated the students and staff at Tilden Middle School and is continually working to make a positive impact in the lives of the students she supports and the field of special education. 

  Judith A. Resnik Elementary opened a new cooperative pre-K program for students with physical disabilities. With the addition of this program, Resnik now has a full inclusion program for students with physical disabilities from pre-K through fifth grades. Special education teacher, Adelaide Martin and general education teacher, Katie Kilpatrick, both have backgrounds in early childhood. Adelaide, has an undergraduate degree from City College of New York and a master’s degree from the University of Maryland and has been teaching for 27 years. Katie graduated from Westchester University in Pa. and has been teaching two years. Katie takes the lead in the curriculum planning while Adelaide works with team members to identify accommodations and strategies for students requiring a different approach to completing tasks.  
           

Dana Richards is a teacher at Kensington Parkwood Elementary. She teaches Kindergarten and First Grade Learning and Academic Disabilities (K-1 LAD). She graduated from Messiah College with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. Ms. Richards feels that her responsibility as a teacher is to help her students find their own exceptional qualities and build the support system needed to maximize their strengths. Multiple strategies, movement, manipulatives, music, and accommodations are implemented daily to help students reach their full potential. Her classroom is a positive environment where students feel safe and receive affirmation for their efforts.

Rachel Wills is the Coordinator of the Academic Support Center at Walter Johnson High School.  She facilitates all aspects of the delivery of special education services in the Resource, Learning and Academic Disabilities, Gifted and Talented/Learning Disabilities (GT/LD), Secondary Learning Center, Learning for Independence and School/Community-Based (SCB) Programs. Mrs. Wills graduated from the University of Maryland with Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees in special education.  She also earned specialty certificates in severe and profound instruction and transition services.  In a manner of distinction, Mrs. Wills was also named an outstanding graduate for the Department of Special Education at the University of Maryland. Mrs. Wills has worked in a variety of capacities to serve students with special needs to include: teacher in the SCB program at Sherwood High School from 1992- 1999,  coordinator of ESY programs for students in the SCB program at 7 site locations from 1997-1998 and coordinator of special education programs at Tilden Middle School from 1998-2006.

Betsy Cavanaugh-O’Keefe is a Beginnings teacher in the Preschool Education Program (PEP).  She has taught within the program for six years and is currently at Strawberry Knoll Elementary School.  PEP Beginnings classes are very unique and encompass a very wide range of disabilities and needs.  She is fully committed to creating inclusion opportunities for her students to participate in the larger school community whenever appropriate. “I have never met a child who did not benefit from time with typical peers.” Betsy received her Masters Degree in Education from Boston College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Early Childhood Special Education from Johns Hopkins.   She has presented workshops on specific instructional strategies for severely delayed youngsters to the PEP staff and is currently mentoring a new PEP Beginnings teacher.

Maria Palavecino is an outstanding Preschool Education Program (PEP) Classic teacher at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. PEP has been serving children with a variety of educational disabilities for the past 11 years. Maria was born and raised in Chile. She received her Bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of Chile and taught early childhood classes in several different private schools. She moved to the United States and then went to the University of Maryland and received a Master’s Degree in 1995. It was then that Maria joined the Preschool Education Program; first at Jackson Road Elementary School, then Fox Chapel Elementary School, and now at Thurgood Marshall. Maria is not only an exemplary teacher but she is also a leader at Thurgood Marshall. She has served on the Leadership committee for five years, is a member of the School Improvement Team and participates on a committee for Teacher-Parent Partnership.

Cheryl Reed is a teacher in the Program for Students with Asperger’s Syndrome at Diamond Elementary School. During her four years at Diamond, she has become expert at creating a highly structured, stimulating classroom in which all of her very diverse students can become independent and successful learners. Ms. Reed has high expectations that all of her students can reach their. Her expectations for herself are equally high: She invests considerable energy and personal time in developing accommodations and materials that will support her students in their academic endeavors. Mrs. Reed is highly sensitive to the individual social and emotional needs of her students. She develops personal relationships with them in order to help them navigate the academic and interpersonal requirements of the school day. Mrs. Reed is always willing to share her expertise with other professional supporting students with Aspergers students.

Helen Murphy is one of 2.5 special educators along with 2 part-time paraeducators who serve special education students K – 5th grade at Summit Hall ES, which recently began to implement a home school model to provide services to special education students. She works closely with the general education teachers at each grade level to plan and implement co-teaching lessons. She has been a mentor to a first-year teacher and works with classroom teachers in meeting the needs of all students. Ms. Murphy conducts a before school “double dose” math lesson for students who require re-teaching and extra support. Her efforts toward student achievement have had a positive impact for all students at Summit Hall ES.

Vicki Goodman is the Transition Support Teacher at Damascus High School. Transition Support Teachers (TST) assists students with disabilities in planning an effective transition from school to post-school. Damascus High School offers a complete continuum of transition services ranging from those students transitioning into post-secondary education to day habilitation services. She provides vital resources and linkages where appropriate for the students with disabilities. Ms. Goodman was the Transition Support Teacher speaker at the Career and Technology Education conference in June 2005. The Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) requested piloting several programs at Damascus this 2005-2006 school year because Ms. Goodman is the TST on site. Because Ms. Goodman exhibits consistent dedication and commitment to the students at Damascus High School, they are better prepared for their future environment as they exit MCPS.