Academy Breaks the Isolation of Special Education Directors

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Most special education administrators don’t get the chance to network regularly with professional peers to discuss job challenges and strategies.

The Special Education Leadership Academy in Massachusetts was developed to remedy that situation. Collaboration between special education directors and their general education counterparts to promote inclusive learning is a primary goal of the Academy.

Funded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA DESE) and free to participants, the Academy aims to build directors’ capacities to do their jobs effectively and minimize burnout. In fact, a major reason that MA DESE funds the Academy is to retain veteran directors in their positions longer, so that students and educators—especially those coming up through the special education ranks—can benefit from their knowledge and experience.

Download this article to learn more about this long-standing and successful initiative.

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