Special Education Executive Director Hired
Zakiyyah McWilliams has been selected by Superintendent Banda as the Executive Director of Special Education.
From the announcement:
Ms.
McWilliams brings to Seattle more than 30 years of experience in
education, with a strong emphasis on students with special needs. In her
role, she will oversee all aspects of our Special
Education department and will communicate and collaborate with
families, staff and administrative staff.
From the announcement:
Ms.
McWilliams brings to Seattle more than 30 years of experience in
education, with a strong emphasis on students with special needs. In her
role, she will oversee all aspects of our Special
Education department and will communicate and collaborate with
families, staff and administrative staff.
Ms.
McWilliams comes to us from the Compton Unified School District, where
she started in 2007 as Special Education Program Administrator and since
2011, has been the Administrator of the Special
Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Support and Compliance. She is
currently Compton’s lead for disproportionality and focused on
developing a district-wide plan to reduce the over-representation of
students in Special Education.
She
started her career as a special education teacher, then served as
principal in the Pasadena Unified School District and as a consultant in
the Division for School Improvement with the Los
Angeles County Office of Education. She also has experience as a
part-time instructor for California State University, where she taught a
course called “Special Education Mainstreaming &
Diversity/Multiracial.”
Ms.
McWilliams plans to start at Seattle Public Schools in mid-May. She was
part of a national search that resulted in six candidates. A hiring
committee consisted of representatives from the
administration, teachers, family members, Seattle Schools Advisory
& Advocacy Council (SEAAC) and the Seattle Alliance of Black
Educators.
Comments
reader
I like that Compton has a student on their school board.
Can we get one?
The MAP, by the way, is the screening tool for MTSS, which is why the District supports its use so steadfastly.
I would really like to see some more talk, concern, and action on Special Education from the student perspective - assignment, adequate service, compliance with IDEA, access to a least restrictive environment, implementation of authentic inclusive classrooms (as appropriate), and some freakin' empathy or compassion for students and families in frustrating and painful positions by schools and the district.
The woman hasn't even hit the ground yet and you're already suspicious of her qualifications. If you are so interested in her background, then find out for yourself by contacting the Compton school district.
Most importantly, give the woman a chance to actually get something done without folks breathing down her back.
--Special Ed Parent Too
Have some compassion for mirmac1. I think it is important to keep in mind that Special Ed parents aren't born, they're made.
What the district has sowed, they are reaping. After years and years of unkept promises, unfilled positions, contempt for the law, and extreme lack of concern, it is natural for parents to have absolutely no trust in the system.
Hopefully, Ms. McWilliams will be someone who the parents can trust. The trust isn't there yet because the school district hasn't deserved it in the past.
I guess what I'm saying is we as frustrated special ed parents can reap we sow as well and at some point have to realize that we may be contributing to the impossible special education environment by scaring off potential good hires.
This woman looks like she has the experience we've all be asking for. Now that she's here, let's not bring all our baggage to the table. Just let her show us she can do her job.
--Special Ed Parent Too
You know me. I research everything. I got bupkus.
Sometime reader
I agree. It didn't take five minutes for Tolley to protest as invalid our experience of being bounced from the Special Ed Dept and Exec Directors of Schools (a post he used to fill).
(eye roll)
http://www.compton.k12.ca.us/www/Documents/SpecialNeeds/SpecialNeeds.pdf
I cannot be sure it is the most up to date document but was not able to link to anything at all from their website. I am, let's say, "surprised" at some of the terms, such as "regular ed," and the many labels and segrgated classes listed and even some of the descriptions of services and use of the "mainstreaming:" term.
Will do my best to keep an open mind.
Casey
The powers that be who felt this mid-level manager could lead our district with a vision for special education, obviously did not consider how Seattle is bigger and different than Compton. I don't say better. I say different.
Does anyone at JSCEE listen? Wait, I mean do they listen to anyone outside the syncophants and ed reform shills?
The issue in Compton is different then here. The overwhelming majority of students identify ethnically as Hispanic. African American males in this environment still get over-identified as disabled, leading to labeling, lower expectations, etc.
From what I can tell, it would be very difficult to characterize Ms. McWilliams as an ed reformer.
I had an interesting discussion with another special ed parent a while ago. We both agreed that if SPS did hire the best candidate for the job, it would be difficult for us to even acknowledge the case because we are so used to getting burned.
Let's try to keep that in mind and give this woman a chance before we judge her.
The job is impossible because the Special Education leadership must rely on the compliance of principals and teachers who do not answer to them. They have other supervisors with other priorities.
It is very very hard to manage people who don't recognize you as their manager - because you're not their manager.
This is an issue we brought up with Michael Tolley last night at the SEAAC meeting. We said it nicely, we said it again and we said it again.
His first response was boilerplate about his expectations for all teachers and building personnel.
We reiterated with him about the validity of our experiences.
He didn't seem to get it at first, but I think we did get a little traction. I'm pretty sure we are going to have to keep hammering at it.
another sped parent