Betsy Cavanaugh-O’Keefe is a Beginnings teacher in the Preschool Education Program (PEP).  She has taught within the program for six years and is currently at Strawberry Knoll Elementary School.  PEP Beginnings classes are very unique and encompass a very wide range of disabilities and needs.  She is fully committed to creating inclusion opportunities for her students to participate in the larger school community whenever appropriate. “I have never met a child who did not benefit from time with typical peers.” Betsy received her Masters Degree in Education from Boston College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Early Childhood Special Education from Johns Hopkins.   She has presented workshops on specific instructional strategies for severely delayed youngsters to the PEP staff and is currently mentoring a new PEP Beginnings teacher.

Maria Palavecino is an outstanding Preschool Education Program (PEP) Classic teacher at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School. PEP has been serving children with a variety of educational disabilities for the past 11 years.

Maria was born and raised in Chile. She received her Bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of Chile and taught early childhood classes in several different private schools. She moved to the United States and then went to the University of Maryland and received a Master’s Degree in 1995. It was then that Maria joined the Preschool Education Program; first at Jackson Road Elementary School, then Fox Chapel Elementary School, and now at Thurgood Marshall.

Maria is not only an exemplary teacher but she is also a leader at Thurgood Marshall. She has served on the Leadership committee for five years, is a member of the School Improvement Team and participates on a committee for Teacher-Parent Partnership. She goes above and beyond by translating for Spanish-speaking families at meetings.
She is a special person contributing so much to her students, to PEP and to the school community.

Cheryl Reed is a teacher in the Program for Students with Asperger’s Syndrome at Diamond Elementary School. During her four years at Diamond, she has become expert at creating a highly structured, stimulating classroom in which all of her very diverse students can become independent and successful learners. Ms. Reed has high expectations that all of her students can reach their. Her expectations for herself are equally high: She invests considerable energy and personal time in developing accommodations and materials that will support her students in their academic endeavors.

Mrs. Reed is highly sensitive to the individual social and emotional needs of her students. She develops personal relationships with them in order to help them navigate the academic and interpersonal requirements of the school day. Through her efforts she reinforces her student’s positive self-image. She spends a great deal of her personal time communicating with the families of her students. In addition to all of these qualities she is aware of the importance of humor and her students lives.
Ms. Reed is always willing to share her expertise with other professional supporting students with Aspergers students.

Helen Murphy is one of 2.5 special educators along with 2 part-time paraeducators who serve special education students K – 5th grade at Summit Hall ES, which recently began to implement a home school model to provide services to special education students.

She works closely with the general education teachers at each grade level to plan and implement co-teaching lessons. Together the general and special educators look at assessment results for the students and analyze the data and work collectively to develop strategies and differentiation to help special education students master the curriculum.

She has been a mentor to a first-year teacher and works with classroom teachers in meeting the needs of all students. Ms. Murphy conducts a before school “double dose” math lesson for students who require re-teaching and extra support. Her efforts toward student achievement have had a positive impact for all students at Summit Hall ES.

Vicki Goodman is the Transition Support Teacher at Damascus High School. Transition Support Teachers (TST) assists students with disabilities in planning an effective transition from school to post-school. Damascus High School offers a complete continuum of transition services ranging from those students transitioning into post-secondary education to day habilitation services. Ms. Goodman provides exemplary transition planning services for the students with disabilities at Damascus High School. She provides vital resources and linkages where appropriate for the students with disabilities. Her dedication to the students at Damascus goes well above and beyond the traditional responsibilities of a TST.

Ms. Goodman was the Transition Support Teacher speaker at the Career and Technology Education conference in June 2005. She attended planning meetings, prepared her presentation, and participated in the conference, all on her own time. Ms. Goodman has also been recognized as a dedicated professional willing to attempt new things outside of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) system. The Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) requested piloting several programs at Damascus this 2005-2006 school year because Ms. Goodman is the TST on site. Because Ms. Goodman exhibits consistent dedication and commitment to the students at Damascus High School, they are better prepared for their future environment as they exit MCPS.