Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Alexa Posny will deliver remarks and participate in a roundtable discussion Friday at Eastern Michigan University focusing on preparation, recruitment and retention of special education teachers. More than 250 people are expected to attend the event. Her visit follows appearances by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Thursday in Detroit and Ann Arbor as part of his 2011 "Education and the Economy" back-to-school bus tour.
Among those on the panel with Posny will be Eleanor White, director of the Michigan Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services, and Laurie Montgomery, assistant superintendent of special education with the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency. Also, Caryn Pack Ivey with the Michigan Alliance; Derrick Fries, associate professor at Eastern Michigan University; Benjamin White, president of the Michigan Student Council for Exceptional Children; and Celeste Gentile, instructional specialist at Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan.
The bus tour began Wednesday and continues through Friday with stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin — in addition to Michigan. Throughout the trip, Duncan and his senior staff will hold events to promote the work of America's educators, parents, administrators and education stakeholders in building a strong cradle-to-college and -career continuum that prepares our students to compete in the growing global economy. Duncan will discuss the administration's dual commitments — investing in education to secure our future and reducing spending while increasing efficiency.