Our Team

Roberta teaches 6th Grade at Waller Road Elementary in the Puyallup School District. Although relatively new to teaching (6th year), she loves it. Prior to teaching, Roberta worked in independent sales.  She also worked for DSHS 16 years at a WA State developmental center providing private, in-home, autistic adult care services for Region Five. She loves people and interactions on all levels and arenas. Roberta is thankful for opportunity to be a part of the SESC Cadre and has found it to be “amazing”.

Sherlunda is a special education teacher at North Middle School in the Everett School District.

Joanna has two teenage sons who fall on opposite ends of the autism spectrum. By advocating for inclusion and access for their wide range of challenges she became experienced in teaming with public school systems. This along with her experience as an occupational therapist on the “other side of the IEP table” gave her a unique perspective in helping teams collaborate.

Rachael is a fifth grade teacher for the Kittitas School District.  She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Central Washington University, and a Master’s Degree from Heritage University.  She is endorsed in both Early Childhood General Education, and Early Childhood Special Education.  Over her career, Rachael has taught in an integrated second grade classroom, a developmental preschool, a resource room, a group home for incarcerated juveniles, and in 5th grade.  She has been with the Cadre since 2021. 

Amy has been teaching at Helen Baller Elementary in the Camas for 13 years, collaborating with staff, families, and community to develop individualized plans that focus on each student’s unique skills, abilities, and interests to help them find their place among their peers in the school community. She also collaborates with state agencies and organizations to educate and advocate for educational equity. Amy was recognized as WA State’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Benjamin currently serves as a secondary mathematics educator in Pierce County, working with middle school and high school students. Having graduated from the University of Portland with a Bachelor’s, Benjamin explored public service in education as a multi-term AmeriCorps VISTA member before returning to complete a Masters in Teaching from Concordia University.

Brenda starting out studying cardiology, but kept getting “bumped into other programs and somehow just could not get out of the education classes that were being offered.”  She has held a number of positions with the Spokane Public Schools, since 1998: Resource Math – High School, Multi-handicapped, Orthopedically Handicapped – Elementary Level, and Special Education, Self-contained – Middle School. 

Chris is a Special Education Director through ESD 113 where he supports special education programming within the Lewis County Special Education Cooperative and other districts in the region. He has previously worked in the Central Kitsap and Edmonds School Districts. Chris has both elementary and high school special education experience.  His focus: students with Autism and Emotional/Behavioral Disability. He holds a Masters in Teaching Special Education and Functional Behavioral Analysis from Gonzaga University. 

Dameon served as an Intervention Team Assistant for Kent School District and a Para Educator in the ASC, currently working as a Mall Safety Mentor for Glover Empower Mentoring, and a Rehabilitation Technician for DSHS. He has developed academic transfer career/technical, developmental and high school/GED options. Dameon has experience with with various developmental disabilities and behavior issues. As a Mall Safety Mentor, he has also assisted youth in linking career and life goals to educational programs.  He has trained other staff on how to work with the developmentally disabled, as well in de-escalation and the safety techniques. Dameon is currently completing a BA in Youth Development..

Amy is an ASHA-certified Speech/Language Pathologist, receiving her Masters of Science degree in Speech Pathology from Eastern Washington University.  She currently works for Wenatchee School District and has also worked in Malheur County/OR, Meridian/ID and Edmonds School District, totaling 38 years in Education. She’s worked in Early Childhood for the majority of her career and has been the Early Childhood Coordinator for Wenatchee School District since 2002. 

Joan taught high school resource room and elementary general education. She currently teaches 7th-grade core literacy and reading intervention classes. With this broad educational background serving students at various levels, Joan has developed a deep understanding of student supports needed to gain access to standards.  Research passions include UDL, standards, John Hattie’s Visible Learning, High Leverage Practices, and how these elements of education intersect with equity to provide the best outcomes for all students.

Rebecca previously worked as a Special Education teacher and a K-12 Life Skills coordinator in the Bellevue School District.  She holds a BS in K-6 Primary Collaboration and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), a masters degree in ECSE, and a masters in Administration. Rebecca is Nationally Board Certified in the area of ECYA/ENS Sever/Multiple for ages-21 and has worked in a multitude of environments fron K-12 to higher ed. She has served as a head coach for Special Olympics for 10+ years.

Jordan is a High School Life Skills Teacher at Glacier Peak High School in the Snohomish School District.  He works with students with moderate and significant disabilities.  Jordan earned his Bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University and a Master’s degree from Purdue University.  When he is not teaching, he coaches High School and Middle School Wrestling.  He has also been in the Coast Guard for 17 years.

Suzanne has a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University, and Bachelors Degrees in Elementary Education and Communication Disorders from Eastern Washington University. She has 24 years experience in K-12 education: 9 years as a General Ed Teacher in a variety of grade levels, and 15 years as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

Brittany is currently an elementary SPED TOSA in the Bethel School District, where she works to support new special education teachers and support special education students in elementary buildings across the district. Beginning her career as a SPED para-educator, she got her Bachelors and became a teacher in Puyallup leading a self-contained Kindergarten program. She then taught an Autism program for grades K-3, and then switched to general education to teach fourth grade. Along the way, she got her Masters and is now applying for administration programs. She has proudly served as an IPP trainer since 2021.

Mindy teaches Special Education in the Kennewick School District. Throughout her career, she has held several teaching positions including: middle school resource teacher and inclusion teacher, elementary life skills teacher, and elementary resource room teacher. Mindy is currently a full-time mentor teacher, facilitating the development of new-career special education teachers. With her Master’s in Elementary Math Education, Mindy also has taught Math and Science, in the Early Education department at Columbia Basin College.

Erinn has taught English Language Arts at both the middle and high school levels for seventeen years. She is a National Board Certified teacher who has recently earned her EL endorsement and currently works in the Mukilteo School District. Erinn has several years of experience co-teaching with special education teachers and worked to provide the most inclusive setting possible for her students by integrating HLP, SDI, and UDL into her instruction. She passionately believes that all students can be successful in a mainstream classroom.

Shelly worked as a Special Education teacher in Seattle Public Schools before becoming a full-time release special education mentor. For the last two years, she has managed the Professional Growth and Educator Support Consulting Teacher Program. She holds a BS in psychology and a Masters in Teaching and is National Board Certified in the area of Exceptional Needs Specialist-Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Mild and Moderate Disabilities (MMD). Although out of the classroom, Shelly continues to fight for equity and inclusion for all special education students.

Janel teaches in the Tacoma Public Schools. She has a Master’s in Elementary Education/K-12 Reading. Throughout her career, Janel has held various positions  including: reading specialist, math interventionist, technology teacher, mentor teacher, instructional coach, K-3 co-teacher, and an elementary teacher – currently an elementary instructional coach and K-3 co-teacher. She facilitates professional development and supports teachers in the classroom around equitable, inclusive, high-leverage practices that promote a culturally responsive classroom.

Rachael is a Nationally Board Certified EYA Science Teacher and holds a BA in Elementary Education as well as a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction-English as a Second Language from Arizona State University.  She started her career teaching 3rd grade in Arizona but has spent the majority of her nineteen plus years teaching middle school Science.  Currently, Rachael teaches middle school Science in Spokane, Washington and has been with the Cadre since 2016.  Rachael is also a parent of a typically developing child, a child with a 504 plan and a child on the Autism Spectrum. 

Kristen is currently working in Battle Ground Public Schools as a District PBIS Coach. She holds a Specialists Degree in School Psychology from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Kristen has 20 years experience with 14 of those years as a school psychologist in various districts in Colorado. She has extensive experience in elementary school settings and with students with significant behavioral needs. In her role as a district PBIS coach she implements district systems, coaches school teams, and provides professional development in the area of social/emotional learning.

Heather is currently Elementary Para Educator. She has worked in education for more than 10 years, as a:  preschool teacher, tutor with the AmeriCorps program,  and para in both elementary and high school resource rooms.  For the last few years has been a para in a self-contained special education classroom both in-person and online. Heather is a parent of an adult child with a physical disability.  During the school years she learned how parents can navigate the system to assure that their child’s classroom needs are met. During her time in special education Heather has grown in knowledge through both the SESC classes, experience and her own research.

Laura teaches Special Education in Monroe, Washington. In this role, she co-teaches at the middle school level in an inclusion setting with general educators. Previously, Laura was a middle school Life Skills teacher, working with students with moderate to significant disabilities, and has also worked in a high school Resource Room. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Gonzaga University, and a Master’s Degree from Walden University. Laura has been an SESC trainer since 2021.

Danae is Special Education and Early Learning Facilitator in Shelton, Washington.  A National Board Certified Exceptional Needs Specialist P-12, she holds a BA focusing in Deaf and Bilingual Education and has a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Danae started her career in Deaf Education and has taught at every level from early childhood through adults and in many special education contexts – from self-contained to co-teaching settings as well as coaching, mentoring and private consultation – in the US and internationally. As a parent of a child with significant disabilities she is passionate about inclusionary practices for students with significant support needs. 

Sydney has 28 years of educational experience includes work as as a Mental Health Counselor, Behavior Specialist, and Intervention Specialist. She has skills and knowledge related to behavioral, social-emotional, ABC data collection, and trauma-informed strategies and interventions. Sydney currently provides mental health assistance and resources for students and staff in the Clover Park School District.

Tamra began her career working at a residential treatment facility for students with significant emotional and behavioral disabilities.  In part, those experiences led her to become a school psychologist. She has worked in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, and is currently with the Battle Ground School District.  She later became a district PBIS coach, aiding in the development and implementation of the district’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports system. Tamra now works in special education administration.

Heidi has several degrees from Washington State University – endorsed in both Early Childhood General Education and Early Childhood Special Education. Over her career, Heidi has taught K-5 Resource Room, A K-5 Life Skills class, General Education Kindergarten, General Education 1st grade and Special Education Preschool. She currently teaches an alternative classroom for preschool students on the Autism Spectrum and coaches in an inclusive preschool classroom. Heidi recently launched a consulting business assisting new Special Education Teachers with classroom organization and teaching strategies.

Katja is an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist with 27 years of experience, mostly public schools.  She has primarily worked in early childhood serving students with autism spectrum disorders, Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) needs, language delay, and speech sound disorders, and has taught workshops for parents of children with social communication needs.  Katja received both a B.A. and M.A. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from WSU.  Prior work experiences include Santa Barbara County Education Office (CA), and Midstate Education District (MN). 

Cassondra currently supports Battle Ground teachers with technology integration in the classroom as their educational technology coordinator, or tech TOSA.  In this role, she leads professional development, provides one-on-one coaching, and creates resources.  She was previously a classroom teacher for K-8 art.  She has her Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Pepperdine University and studied art history and archaeology at the University of Oregon before getting her Master’s in Teaching at Concordia University.  

Joan is a middle school teacher in the Ellensburg School District. She works with students with moderate and significant disabilities, and is an adjunct instructor at Central Washington University. Joan earned a Bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University and a Master’s degree from City University.  She is National Board Certified as an Exceptional Needs Specialist, Severe and Multiple Disabilities. Joan has been in education 25+ years, teaching students with all levels of abilities and in a variety of inclusive settings. Joan’s husband, Steve, is also a teacher.  They have 4 children, 2 dogs, plus several horses and mules.  

Kari lives in Vancouver, WA with her husband Tim and son (now 20 years old) who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. Kari has been a strong parent advocate and classroom volunteer: a PTA member, on the board of the local Special Education PTSA, coach & board member for Miracle League baseball, and volunteer for local disability organizations. Kari’s main goal is to help create an inclusive and accepting school and community environment – advocating for inclusion in general education classes and helping support differentiated instruction – recently organizing a parent advisory group to work with staff to improve the Evergreen Transition Program.

Beth teaches in the Wenatchee Valley Community Transitions program. She’s worked with middle and high school students, and currently, with 18-21 year-olds. Beth has taught in Spokane Public Schools, Mead School District, Wenatchee School District, and serves as an Adjunct Professor and Course Developer at Eastern Washington University. She’s a Course Developer and Trainer for both the WEA Special Education Cadre and Inclusionary Practices Project.  Beth is a National Board Certified Teacher; having received awards from Eastern Washington University and ARC of Spokane. She’s also a successful grant writer for her district.

Emily teaches in Wenatchee. Having taught in various special education settings since 2004 – from life skills at high school level, and resource rooms at both elementary and secondary, she is now in an inclusive setting at the preschool level. Emily earned National Board Certification in Early Childhood to Young Adult Exceptional Needs Specialist in 2019, and has been a member of the WEA Special Education Cadre since 2019. This year, she is serving a Program Coach and Data Coordinator for the Washington Pyramid Model Grant.

Amy is a Leadership Coach with the Washington State Leadership Academy (WSLA) and a Project Lead for the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP).  She has served as a classroom teacher, ELA TOSA, and building principal in the Snoqualmie Valley and Riverview School Districts.  Amy received her B.A. and Principal Certification from Seattle Pacific University, an M.Ed in integrated curriculum from City University, followed by a Superintendent Credential from Seattle University.  She completed a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Seattle Pacific University in 2019. 

Melody is an Elementary Special Education Coach in the Bellevue School District.  She supports special education teachers through professional development, developing IEPs and BIPs, creating resources, etc. Previously, she was an Instructional Mentor for special and general education teachers. She has taught in resource rooms, self-contained classrooms, preschools, and transition. Melody has a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Washington, and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and is also endorsed in Reading. 

Mark is a life long special educator who previously served as Coordinator of Special Programs for the WEA. Since retirement, Mark has continued his interest in special education by serving as a Special Education trainer, advisor, and critical friend, for the WEA Special Education Support Center.

Gary has served in various roles in support of WEA projects and programs, beginning in the mid-80s with the Restructuring Schools initiative and later with the NEA Keys to Excellence program. For more than a decade, he has been a consultant to the Special Education Support Center in the design, maintenance, and promotion of the SESC website, and in the facilitation of online support for the WEA Special Ed Cadre.