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Professional Development

Professional Development and Training

Walker Partnerships has expanded our professional development offerings for public school systems, collaboratives and charter schools to further develop their capacity to serve students with special needs as a result of their social, emotional, and/or behavioral issues. We have developed formal curricula and presentation materials that have been effectively utilized in more than 25 school systems and several collaboratives.

The format, focus and length of a training can be effectively tailored to the needs of each school system and its participating professionals. Training sessions typically utilize the case study model and include study group work activities.

Walker Partnerships has gathered a group of experienced and knowledgeable staff to conduct training sessions on a wide range of topics. They have worked in the field of special education for more than 25 years, as teachers, trainers, administrators, evaluators and consultants.

Professional development topics that are currently offered by Walker Partnerships:

  • Pre-Referral Team: Role and Responsibility
  • Coaching the Pre-Referral Team
  • Identification and Eligibility Determination of Students with Social /Emotion Needs
  • Conducting the Functional Behavioral Assessment
  • Writing the Behavioral Intervention Plan
  • Role and Responsibilities of Instructional Assistants
  • Supporting Language Development by Instructional Assistants
  • Introduction to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Instructional Assistants
  • Strategies of Behavior Management for Instructional Assistants
  • Strategies of Behavioral Management for Classroom Teachers
  • Case Management: What Does It Look Like in the Public School?
  • Psycho-pharmacological Intervention: Treatment and Outcomes
  • Understanding Diagnosis
  • Solution-Focused Therapy for School Clinicians
  • School Refusal/Anxiety Disorder
  • Cognitive Behavioral Strategies: De-escalating Behavior and Promoting Confidence
  • Trauma-Related Acting Out/PTSD in the Classroom
  • Understanding Attachment Disorder
  • Responsive Intervention and Differentiated Instruction
  • The Writing of Goals and Objectives for the IEP
  • Understanding Executive Functioning Disorder/ Strategies of Instruction Intervention
  • Parent Training: Understanding the Implication of Behavior

Walker Partnerships offers training and expertise from a talented group of senior staff consultants:

Carolyn Burke, Ed.D., former elementary Principal for Framingham Public Schools. Areas of specialties are in the co-teaching model, Response-to-Intervention model, curriculum and instructional accommodations, curriculum assessment analysis, school culture, trauma & learning, supervision and learning, community engagement.

Judy Ann Delucia, Ed.D., former Superintendent of Greater Lawrence Technical High School, Coordinator of Curriculum & Instruction at Whittier Regional Vocation High School, Superintendent and assistant Superintendent Peabody Public Schools, Assistant Superintendent Beverly Public Schools. Areas of specialties are curriculum and instruction, professional development coordination, school-based personnel supervision, RtI model, co-teaching, assessment and data analysis.

Ellen Honeyman, CAGS, former Director of Special Education for Springfield and Worcester Public Schools. Area of specialty is speech/language, language-based programming, and language assessment. Ellen also had conducted program evaluations, both of special education and speech/language service, entrance/exit criteria. Professional development training topics: IEP goal writing, developing integrated IEPs,RTI, language-acquisition skill development, curriculum and instructional accommodations.

Gerald Kupperschmidt, M.A.Ed., former  Executive Director of Assabet Valley Collaborative, Administrator of Special Education for the Southborough and Maynard Public Schools. Areas of specialty are the pre-referral process, pre-referral team coaching, testing practices, assessment interpretation, student development and impact on learning, inclusion practices, assistive technology, program evaluations.

Lucy Nims-LaFleche, LICSW.  Individual student case consultation, program development and ongoing  program consultation focusing on students with social/emotional/ behavioral needs. She has worked in schools as a social worker under Walker Partnerships.

Russ Livingston, M.D., Psychiatric case consultation and program consultation

Gerry Mazor, Ph.D., former Executive Director of the CASE Collaborative. Area of specialty, program evaluations,  school district data analysis, strategic planning training facilitator, special education transportation specialist.

Robin Norman, M. Ed., former  Out-of-District Coordinator and Program Supervisor for the Newton Public Schools. Areas of specialty are program development and consultation for life skills and specific learning disabilities.  Program evaluation, especially Title I, out-of-district case analysis for future in-district program development. She has conducted several trainings for paraprofessionals.

Dina Traniello, Ed. D., Case consultation, case assessments, FBA & behavioral plans. Professional development training topics: FBA & behavioral plans development, RTI, managing challenging behaviors in the classroom, positive behavioral supports, developing inclusion strategies, curriculum and instructional strategies.

Madeline (Maddy) Steinberg, Psy.D., Case consultation, program evaluations, student assessment analysis. CANS training and an array of issues related to families and children. She is currently Director of Professional Development and Clinical Training for Walker and was the Clinical Director at Walker. She also has extensive hospital-based clinical experience.

To arrange a training session or a no-obligation consultation regarding professional development opportunities for your staff, please contact Director Jim Earley by e-mail or at 781-292-2178.