Debra Herburger is a Senior Program Associate with WestEd’s Special Education Policy and Practice Team, focusing on providing technical assistance and support as a special education training specialist.
She served as a K-12 Curriculum and Instructional Coach with a focus on inclusion for the Elk Grove Unified School District, working seamlessly with the Curriculum and Professional Learning Department and Student Services Department to strengthen and connect the professional development and collaboration between general and special educators with a focus on improving inclusive practices. Herburger developed a program and framework designed to meet the academic and social-emotional learning needs of students with disabilities in the secondary classroom that was implemented throughout the district.
Her work with WestEd focuses on designing and delivering effective professional learning to educators. While Herburger has a broad range of knowledge and produces work in a spectrum of educational areas, her depth of knowledge in co-teaching, Universal Design for Learning, and guiding districts with effective implementation of a multi-tiered system of support fills the majority of her work portfolio. Herburger’s teaching experience as a general education teacher provides a valuable perspective to supporting educators to continuously improve how we meet the needs of each and every individual learner.