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Educational Advocacy and Consulting

About Michael

Home 9 About Michael

During my fifteen-year career in public education, I worked as a Director of Special Education, Educational Team Leader, Special Education Teacher, and Assistive Technology Specialist. This experience has given me extensive knowledge of and experience with special education laws, regulations, and procedures which helps me to serve my clients. It also gave me hundreds of opportunities to partner with families to support students. 

Whether advocating for increased opportunities for inclusion, having conversations with colleagues in support of struggling students, or advocating for initiating and sustaining an assistive technology initiative, special education advocacy was always at the heart of my work as an educator. I have excellent communication skills and many years of experience facilitating productive, collaborative, and student-centered team meetings and using team meetings to support students and families.

Because I understand and value the importance of a parent’s voice in Special Education, I volunteer as a Special Education Surrogate Parent through the Federation for Children With Special Needs in Boston, providing special education advocacy services for children in the Department of Children and Families (DCF) custody. 

I currently live in Conway, Massachusetts, with Kathy, my wife, partner, and best friend, for the past 30+ years. I enjoy hiking with my Australian Cobberdog, Gracie, gardening, and cooking for Kathy.

Education and Training:

  • Federation of Children With Special Needs Parent Consultant Training Institute
  • Masters in Education, Moderate Disabilities Special Education and Administration, Fitchburg State College
  • Bachelor of Arts, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
  • MA Administrator’s License Special Education
  • MA Licensed Special Education Teacher, Moderate Disabilities grades K-12.

Memberships and Affiliations:

  • Special Needs Advocacy Network

I always appreciated how easy it was to talk to Michael about my child, and he always worked with me to come up with solutions. Michael was always an exception in that I really felt as though he tried to partner with me as a parent. That went a long way for me.

parent of a high school student

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