SIP Inclusion Conference
Driving Inclusion Forward: Shifting Beliefs into Action

Jonathan Mooney’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, HBO, NPR, ABC News, New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. He has spoken in all 50 states and 8 countries on disability and neurodiversity rights and inclusion, inspiring those who live with differences and advocating for change. He is a graduate of Brown University and has published three books: The Short Bus, Learning Outside the Lines, and Normal Sucks.

Kristin Wright is the Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, Early Intervention, and Support Services. Wright previously served as the California State Director of Special Education at the California Department of Education (CDE). Before CDE, she served as the Education Policy Advisor for Special Education, Homeless, and Foster Youth at the California State Board of Education and also as a member of the Legislative Staff at the California State Assembly. In addition to her experience in education, she also served as the Assistant Director at Volunteers of America, working with homeless programs in Sacramento County.

Stephanie Coleman is a dedicated educator with over 17+ years of experience as an Education Specialist, focusing on supporting students with Mild/Mod Disabilities. She holds a Master's of Education in Special Education and serves as a Part-Time Instructor at CSUS, sharing her expertise with aspiring educators. Stephanie's passion for inclusive education led her to become the Coordinator of Inclusive Practices and Integrated Systems at the Sacramento County Office of Education. In this role, she advocates for instructional strategies and best practices that promote inclusivity, belonging, and academic success for all students. Her continuous efforts to improve educational experiences for diverse learners have a profound impact on building an inclusive and supportive educational system in the community. and supportive educational system in the community.

Patricia Schetter has been involved in public education since 1999, serving in various capacities including special education teacher, program specialist, behavior analyst, and instructional coach/trainer.  She has extensive knowledge in applied behavior analysis and autism and the use of evidence based practices for students with disabilities and holds a board certification in behavior analysis as well as a PPS credential in school counseling.  In an effort to improve outcomes for students with disabilities through interagency collaboration and use of evidence based practices, she co-founded the California Autism Professional Training and Information Network (CAPTAIN) in 2012.  Since then, CAPTAIN has grown to include over 450 members from across the state, has been the subject of several peer reviewed research articles and is held as a nationally recognized model for effective  implementation.  Schetter recently joined the Placer County Office of Education as a Coordinator for Social-Emotional-Behavioral Supports and Services where she is assisting districts with the implementation of PBIS, school based mental health and wellness and ways to more effectively include students with disabilities in the implementation of high quality multi-tiered systems of supports.  She is passionate about implementation science, research based practices and supporting educators in learning how to most meaningfully support neurodiverse students so that they can receive all of the benefits of a high quality education.

Chad Slife is an experienced educator and school transformation leader focused on antiracist and equitable practices with a demonstrated history of raising student achievement, building parent engagement, and increasing student enrollment in urban schools for over 20 years. His specialty areas include principal coaching, restorative practices, MTSS, UDL, improvement science, and school climate and culture. Chad began his teaching career as a Teach for America Corps Member in San Francisco Unified School District and then Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto, California. He has spent the past decade-plus as a site administrator and now County Office of Education leader in the Bay Area. Chad holds a BA in Public Relations from the University of Southern California, an MA in Education Administration from San Francisco State University, and is nearing degree completion of a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University. 

Laura T Petersen MA Ed, currently provides support to families in Northern California with young deaf/hard of hearing children in her position as Early Education Coordinator at the California School for the Deaf. She has worked with d/hh children as a teacher, educational consultant, parent infant specialist,  behavior specialist, and home visit teacher . She supports families by providing research-based information and connecting them with other families and professionals.  Laura emphasizes the importance of an appropriate and accessible education to ensure children's language development and academic readiness. 

Rachel Fauver currently serves as the Director of School and District Support for the Santa Barbara County Education Office supporting continuous improvement efforts across a wide range of programs and initiatives. Having worked early in her career as a special education teacher in elementary, junior high, and juvenile court and community schools, Rachel moved into leadership as a coordinator of special education serving LEAs throughout Santa Barbara County. In her current role, Rachel aims to center the outcomes, experiences, and needs of students with disabilities in the systems-level change efforts she is engaged in at local and statewide levels.

Ray Avila was raised in the Central Valley and attended Fresno State University.  There he met his wife, Michelle, and they have been married for over 32 years.  Ray and Michelle raised their three children (Brittany 29, Jordan 27, and Kendall 24) in Fresno, CA.  Ray started his educational career in Fresno Unified School District in 1987 where he was employed for 25 years as a teacher (both Gen. Ed. and Special Ed.) and a school and district office administrator.  After living and working in Fresno for 25 years, Ray and Michelle chose to start the next chapter of their life “somewhere by the ocean”.  Ray was fortunate to reconnect with a former colleague who was the new Superintendent of Pacifica School District, and encouraged Ray to apply for the Special Education Administrator position knowing Ray’s passion in education has always focused around students with special needs.  Ray worked for Pacifica School District for six years as the Special Ed. Administrator, Director of Integrated Services, and Associate Superintendent.  The beauty of the Santa Barbara coast and community have led Ray and Michelle to wonder what retirement would look like in this area.  When Ray saw the opportunity to interview for the SB County SELPA Executive Director position, the idea of moving to Santa Barbara was “fast-tracked”! Ray is excited he has begun his journey with the Santa Barbara SELPA, working alongside the educators within the County, and moving into this next chapter with his family in the Santa Barbara community, which now includes two granddaughters! Dr. Avila has been the Executive Director for SB County SELPA for the past six years.

Angie Caster is the Assistant Director of Alignment, Implementation and Measurement at the SWIFT Education Center, Life Span Institute, University of Kansas. SWIFT is a national technical assistance center that builds whole system capacity —state, district, school, and community—to provide academic, behavioral, social, and emotional support to improve outcomes for students, especially those who are marginalized. Angie enjoys working with educators across the system to affect change. 

Angie’s personal and professional experiences with students, families, teachers, and administrators, across elementary and secondary settings have set a strong foundation for the work of transforming educational systems. As a school psychologist, Angie has leadership experiences at the district and state levels. She is passionate about ensuring equitable access and instruction to students through implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support.

Angie earned her Ed.S. and MS degrees in school psychology from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and BA in psychology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Lupita Olguin-Rubio is a Coordinator of inclusionary Practices at Imperial County SELPA. Ms. Olguin-Rubio has over 25 years of experience as a curriculum coordinator providing professional development on English learners'  literacy and language development topics at the Imperial County Office of Education. Ms. Olguin-Rubio believes that multilingualism is an asset and that every student is entitled to have his or her voice valued and heard. She is passionate about this philosophy and imparts this zeal in all her projects. Ms.Olguin-Rubio operates with a systems lens and recognizes that, as educators, we are all change agents and have the capacity and ability to contribute to transforming our school systems to improve outcomes for all learners. Ms. Olguin-Rubio has worked as a K-6 Bilingual Educator, Site Director for the California Reading and Literature Project, Region 9  CPIN/DLL Lead, Title Ill EL Specialist, and English Learner Curriculum Coordinator. Currently, she  is a member of the Imperial County SELPA Special Education Resource Lead: Project MuSE-Improving Outcomes for Multilingual Students with Exceptional Needs.

Vanessa Lopez is a Coordinator of Inclusionary Practices at Imperial CountySELPA. Ms. Lopez has over 23 years of experience teaching multilingual learners with exceptional needs in various settings. Ms. Lopez works to highlight the myriad assets all learners, including those who are dually identified, contribute to our education system and community. She believes in being a change agent, advocating for all students, and contributing to the collective commitment and zeal educators bring to their students daily. Ms. Lopez has worked as a K-6 Special Education teacher, English language development coach, Resource Teacher, and Academic Support Teacher. She is a Google-certified educator, certified Assistive Technology (AT) assessor, and Adapted Physical Education (APE) Teacher. Currently, she is part of the Special Education Resource Lead:P project MuSE- Improving Outcomes for Multilingual Students with Exceptional Needs, and is an adjunct professor at Azusa Pacific University.

Alyssa DiFilippo, Strategic Projects Manager at Parents Helping Parents, manages PHP’s statewide program, Connections California: Transition to Adulthood. As a Parent Advisor and Director of Parent Services at Matrix Parent Network & Resource Center for 15 years, Alyssa mentored families of young adults with diverse needs and directed several federal and state-funded programs. Alyssa found her passion for assisting families with youth transitioning to adulthood as her own daughter began to mature. Now 26 years old and thriving, her daughter is participating in the Department of Developmental Services Self-Determination Program through a regional center in northern CA. 

Debbie Drennan, MSW, AT Specialist for over 20 years, Assistive Technology Consultant (AT). She believes that AT is a key component to the successful inclusion of all individuals. Debbie recently completed training to become an Inclusion Facilitator with Beginning Together. She became passionate about assistive technology and inclusion because of her children - one of whom has Cerebral Palsy, and another who has ADHD. Both are now successful, independent adults.

Nicole Tucker-Smith is founder and CEO of Lessoncast, global presenter on Universal Design for Learning, and author of Supercharge Your Professional Learning: 40 Concrete Strategies to Improve Adult Learning. At Lessoncast, the team of expert facilitators guide systemwide implementation of UDL, diverse representation in curriculum, and impactful professional development (PD). She also leads the Jumpstart PD Network, hosts the podcast Did We Learn Anything, and offers materials that promote representation and educator wellness on DiverseDecor.Store. In addition, Nicole co-chairs the UDL Rising to Equity Initiative focused on updating the UDL Guidelines 3.0. Nicole is a former teacher, supervisor of parent support services, principal and systemwide coordinator of professional development for Baltimore County Public Schools, and faculty member for Johns Hopkins University School of Education.

Learn more at Lessoncast.com. Follow on LinkedIn, Twitter/X: @MsTuckerSmtih, Instagram: SchooledbyNicole

Meet Bella Santoyo, Otto Lana and William Del Rosario. Collectively, we are the MOD Squad. MOD stands for Mastering Our Destiny. Together we’re showing the world what can be done when given access to communication and the opportunities to use it. We met in a social skills class, but very soon began to challenge our teachers by letting them know we wanted experiences that were real. We fast became “type-ical” friends who planned fun adventures. Each time we go somewhere we make sure we bring our letter boards or AAC that enables us to have real conversations with the community and freely set the communication expectation. One typer can seem unique, but three together are a force that ignites change. We hope that you’ll join us in our mission to make communication accessible for all.

41 years of Teaching Experience (Elementary to Higher Ed)

Professor (since 2002), Special Education, College of Education, California State University, Sacramento; Affiliate Faculty, Special Education, University of San Francisco (4 yrs before 2002)

General/Special Education Teacher Trainer and Teaching Credential Program Developer in Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc., since 2004

President, Learning Disabilities Association of California (LDA-CA, 2021-present), Board of Director, Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDAA, 2021-present), and Chair/Member of the National Professional Advisory Board, LDAA (2010 – 2020).

Founder and Director, “One Mind Group: Parents Support Group for Their Children with Disabilities” in the Northern CA, since 1998.

Dr. Colleen Myers – Director of Educational Services, Hollister School District

Enjoying her 27th year in education, Dr. Myers has found her sweet spot at Hollister School District as the Director of Educational Services. Leveraging her 16 years of elementary classroom experience, four years at the county office administrative level, assistant principal, and principal experiences, Colleen’s quest is to provide premium support to all levels of student achievement. Additionally, she is a member of the California Rural Ed network Research team advocating and amplifying the rural voice. 

‘All means Each’ Bhavna’s core belief in the boundless potential of each student is what drives her work on inclusion and equity every single day. Bhavna Narula is the Director of Student Services in Hillsborough City School District, a suburban school district in San Mateo County. In her role she serves as the lead learner in areas of special education, social -emotional learning, Universal Design for Learning and Multi-Tiered Systems of Student Support. In her over 20 years of work as an educator, Bhavna has served as a paraeducator, teacher, counselor, middle school Principal, district office leader across both local and international contexts

Jennifer Yales, Ed.D firmly believes that all students can learn–her passion for this belief, and a strong sense of responsibility, drive Dr. Yales in her advocacy to show up, create community and work to develop and implement structures and systems that facilitate learning for all students. She is a parent of a child with autism and considers herself a lifelong learner. For over 20 years, Dr. Yales has served in various capacities in the field of education including school psychologist, program administrator and SELPA Director. Most recently, Dr. Yales has been a director working within the California Statewide System of Support for the past five years and currently serves as the Executive Consultant for the HQ IEPs project. 

She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a special education teaching credential, and a master’s degree in special education, all from California State University, Sacramento.

 Sara Wildman M.Ed, has 20 years of experience serving students within special education in a variety of settings. Mrs. Wildman is currently a special education coordinator with East County SELPA as part of a grant from the California Department of Education to support districts throughout California focusing on high-quality IEPs. Mrs. Wildman’s professional interests focus on supporting students and families from marginalized communities to understand the special education process. She also enjoys working to support systems change using a human-centered approach. Sara has earned a certification with the Compassionate Systems Framework, which is part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (MIT J-WEL) initiative. She has started her doctoral studies in Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne.

Heather DiFede is the Executive Director for East County SELPA. She is currently serving on the IEP Expert Panel for California. Under her leadership, East County SELPA has recently administered the IEP Technical Support and Assistance (ITSA) Grant awarded by CDE and is currently serving as an Exemplar for Interagency Collaboration for the California Early Childhood Special Education Network. As a SELPA Administrator, Ms. DiFede has served as the Chair of the SELPA Administrators’ Association, and additionally is serving or has served as co-chair for the following Association Committees: Forms, CALPADS & Compliance, Local Plan, and Interagency Collaboration. She has also served on numerous statewide committees including the Dashboard Alternate School Status, College and Career Indicator for Alternate Schools, AB 2657 Restraint & Seclusion Workgroup, and the Students with Disabilities Collective. Ms. DiFede was also awarded the 2016 Special Education Administrator of the Year for California by the Association of California School Administrators.

Leo Mapagu is the Executive Director for Santa Clara County SELPAs I, II, III, IV and VII. Mr. Mapagu started his career in the Ravenswood City School District (RCSD), which placed heavy emphasis on IEP compliance and improved outcomes for underserved students with disabilities. During his tenure in RCSD, he participated in various activities to assist district administration in meeting corrective action plan and self-improvement plan requirements. Mr. Mapagu is a collaborator, as is evident by the various partnerships he has developed. He has worked with San Jose State University and Santa Clara County Office of Education’s (SCCOE) Educator Preparation Program to train teachers in a variety of special education topics. He has also partnered with Parents Helping Parents to serve as a panelist and present on special education and IEP-related topics. As a SELPA Administrator, Mr. Mapagu is serving or has served as co-chair of the following SELPA Administrators’ Association Committees: Forms, CALPADS & Compliance, Parent Engagement, Local Plan, and Related Services.

Therese Snyder, works for the Desired Results Access Project, Embedded Instruction for Early Learning CA Project, funded by the CDE, Special Education Division to support participating coaches and teachers to implement evidence-based professional development strategies related to Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) and effective practices to support inclusion, such as Embedded Instruction for Early Learning with preschool children with disabilities in inclusive settings.

Katie has been in the field of Early Childhood Special Education for 17 years in a variety of positions from para educator, Special Education Teacher, Inclusion Preschool Teacher, Embedded Instruction Coach and District Program Coordinator.  She now is managing Statewide Coach work with the DR Access Project and Embedded Instruction to support preschool programs to provide high quality and meaningful inclusion with the use of Practice-Based Coaching and Embedded Instruction.

Christina Daffron has spent over 25 years teaching and coaching in the field of early childhood education. Currently she is a part of the Preschool Assessment Team in Etiwanda School District. Her work in early childhood and inclusion has led her to partner with Embedded Instruction for Early Learning California as an statewide coach helping coaches and teachers to implement evidence-based professional development strategies related to Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) and Embedded Instruction for Early Learning practices to support preschool children in inclusive settings.

Dr. Amanda Goll is a distinguished educator with a diverse background in education. She holds an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Connecticut, a master's degree in school administration from Notre Dame de Namur University, and recently achieved her doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania. With a wealth of experience that includes roles as a middle school Spanish teacher, soccer coach, athletic director, teacher on special assignment, assistant principal, and now principal at Foster City Elementary School, she has demonstrated a commitment to educational excellence. Driven by her passion for special education and inclusive learning for all students, she consistently leads teams making her a respected figure in the field of education.

 Dr. Laurie Balsano Wright is the Coordinator of Facilitated Improvement and Support at PCOE. Her essential responsibilities include developing and implementing an integrated, coherent system of resources, interventions, and support in the areas of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Continuous Improvement. Laurie brings knowledge and experience from her work at school sites on instructional leadership, student access and engagement, and collaborative practices. She holds a Doctorate in Organizational Innovation from National University. Her impact as a change agent has resulted in sustained performance improvement by strengthening organizational culture and whole systems thinking focused on continuous improvement within the educational setting. Laurie strongly believes in educating the whole child, understanding individual student needs and development, and encouraging staff growth by supporting professional development, building capacity, and facilitating positive change.

Leah is a Coordinator of Facilitated Improvement and Support for the Open Access project.  In this position, her responsibilities include developing and implementing an integrated, coherent system of resources, interventions, and support in the areas of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Continuous Improvement. She previously was Program Specialist at Placer County SELPA, supporting districts, parents, teachers and students with a range of supports. Leah has over 20 years of experience supporting students in a variety of settings as a teacher, in both general and special education. She has expertise in the area of literacy and enjoys teaching prospective teachers in best practices for literacy instruction. Leah loves the focus on developing expert learners in the UDL framework and the ability it gives our learners to be successful on their own terms. 

Jasmine Vance is an Improvement Facilitator with the SELPA System Improvement Leads Project (SIL). SIL works collaboratively within the Statewide System of Support to build the capacity of SELPAs and LEAs with a common goal to improve outcomes for students with disabilities in the areas of continuous improvement, data use and high-quality change ideas. Before this role, Jasmine worked in special education, starting her career as an Education Specialist and then moving into the role of Director of Special Education. Most recently, Jasmine served as a Program Specialist supporting LEA/District’s in developing their special education programs

Michelle Jilly is a Program Specialist II within Poway Unified School District with the focus of supporting Inclusive Practices throughout the District in addition to 2 secondary schools, Parentally Placed Private School Team, Extended School Year, and Statewide Testing.  She was a Program Specialist for 5 years within Poway Unified where she supported 3 schools through Inclusive Practices systems changes to increase inclusion for students with disabilities. She also teaches the Certificate in Inclusive Practices course with the San Diego County Office of Education. 

She holds a Master's Degree in Special Education.  Prior to becoming a Program Specialist in Poway Unified School District, she was an Educational Specialist for 8 years in high school.  

 Kellie Moore has been the Principal at Mesa Verde Middle School in Poway Unified School District for 2 years and prior to that she was an Assistant Principal at Rancho Bernardo High School in Poway Unified School District for 5 years. She supported Mesa Verde Middle School through a systemic review of their systems and practices to improve learning for all students. 

Megan serves as an Inclusive Practices Teacher on Special Assignment in the Poway Unified School District, in San Diego. She supports educators, paraprofessionals, and administrators in advancing inclusive instruction for students with disabilities, in TK-12th grades. Prior to this position, Megan led a special education program for students identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders and facilitated their inclusion in general education courses at Del Norte High School in the Poway Unified School District. During her tenure at Del Norte, Megan was recognized as the 2017 California Teacher of the Year and a finalist for National Teacher of the Year, for her work in advancing inclusive education for students with significant disabilities. In 2021, she was appointed by Governor Newsom to serve as a Commissioner for the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Megan is also the co-author of two books: The Incl

Laura Snow is a Teacher on Special Assignment supporting Inclusive Practices in the Poway Unified School District. Prior to this position, Laura initiated and supported inclusive education for elementary students with autism spectrum disorders who had previously been receiving special education services in a segregated classroom setting. This work led to her being recognized as a Poway Unified School District Teacher of the Year in 2020. She received her Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of San Diego. Laura has been supporting a variety of learners in home based and school programs for 20 years. Laura is passionate about coaching and empowering educators to expand their toolkits to create learning environments where all students can thrive.

Nancy Brundrett is currently the Lead Classified on Special Assignment support Inclusive Practices for the Poway Unified School District.  She spent 19 years as an Instructional Assistant in a variety of settings supporting students with various learning and behavioral challenges.  For the past 5 years her work has focused on including students in general education that were previously in segregated settings. Nancy is passionate about improving the lives of students and breaking down the barriers for those that have been historically marginalized. Nancy believes strongly that all staff who engage with students need to be included in collaborative conversations as well professional development. In this role, Nancy provides embedded coaching, targeted professional development and collaborates with district personnel regularly.

Alycia Anderson is an international TEDx motivational speaker, disability advocate, DEI & accessibility corporate inclusion champion, podcast host of Pushing Forward with Alycia and founder / CEO of The Alycia Anderson Company, LLC. Alycia’s company focuses on the education and advocacy of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace & in education. Alycia was recently awarded 2022 Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) Program of the Year. Alycia holds a European Master’s Degree in Adapted Physical Education emphasizing the benefits, practices and principles of inclusion. She is a tennis player, cyclist, identical twin and has been a wheelchair user since birth. Alycia shares her journey globally to help companies and organizations understand the true benefits inherent to building a diverse, inclusive and accessible workplace and society. Shining light on how our diversities are core to the qualities that make each of us uniquely qualified and able in life.