The Texas Blueprint: Transforming Education Outcomes for Children & Youth in Foster Care
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EDUCATION COMMITTEE The Honorable Patricia Macías, Chair Carolyne Rodriguez Judge, 388th District Court Senior Director of Texas Strategic Consulting, El Paso, Texas Casey Family Programs Austin, Texas The Honorable Cheryl Shannon, Vice-Chair Judge, 305th District Court Robert Scott Dallas, Texas Commissioner, Texas Education Agency Austin, Texas Howard Baldwin Commissioner, Texas Department of Family Vicki Spriggs and Protective Services Chief Executive Officer, Texas CASA* Austin, Texas Austin, Texas Joy Baskin Dr. Johnny L. Veselka Director, Legal Services Division Executive Director, Texas Association of School Texas Association of School Boards Administrators Past Chair, State Bar of Texas School Law Section Austin, Texas Austin, Texas *Joe Gagen, former Chief Executive Officer of Claudia Canales Texas CASA, served on the Education Committee Attorney, Law Office of Claudia Canales P.C. until his retirement in 2012. Pearland, Texas **Ms. McWilliams began serving in 2011, James B. Crow substituting for Ms. Estella Sanchez, former foster Executive Director, Texas Association of School youth, San Antonio, who served in 2010. Boards Austin, Texas Lori Duke Clinical Professor, Children’s Rights Clinic, University of Texas School of Law Austin, Texas Anne Heiligenstein Senior Policy Advisor, Casey Family Programs and Immediate Past Commissioner, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Washington, D.C. The Honorable Rob Hofmann Associate Judge, Child Protection Court of the Hill Country Mason, Texas April McWilliams Former Foster Youth, and CPS Youth Specialist, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, El Paso, Texas 2 SCHOOL READINESS SUBCOMMITTEE Technical Advisor Ms. Melissa Leopold The Honorable Patricia Macías Foster Parent, Hallettsville Judge, 388th District Court, El Paso Ms. Rhonda Loth Co-chair Foster Parent and Teacher of Students with Visual The Honorable Bonnie Crane Hellums Impairments, Boerne ISD, Boerne Judge, 247th District Court, Houston Ms. Rosa Masilang Co-chair Education Specialist, Texas Department of Family Ms. Jenny Hinson and Protective Services, El Paso CPS Division Administrator for Permanency, Texas Department of Family and Protective Ms. Kristine Mohajer Services, Austin State Education Program Specialist, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Co-chair Austin The Honorable Ronald R. Pope Judge, 328th District Court, Richmond Ms. Shaneka Odom CPS Youth Specialist, Texas Department of Family Ms. Denise Brady and Protective Services, Beaumont Senior CPS Policy Attorney, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Austin Mr. Nigel Pierce Doctoral student, The University of Texas at Austin, Ms. LaShonda Brown Austin Director, Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office, The University of Texas Health Science Ms. Wanda Smith Center, Houston Chief Executive Officer, Head Start of Greater Dallas, Dallas Ms. Sheila Craig Disproportionality Project Manager, Texas Health Ms. Arabia Vargas and Human Services Commission, Center for the Attorney and Chair, Bexar County Child Welfare Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities, Board, San Antonio Austin Ms. Kim Wedel Ms. Norma Eaves Assistant Commissioner,Texas Department of Education Specialist, Texas Department of Family Assistive and Rehabilitative Services/Division of and Protective Services, Arlington Early Childhood Intervention, Austin Ms. Kathy Eyring Ms. Maude Wright CASA Volunteer, Child Advocates of Fort Bend, Foster Parent, Tyler and Educator, Alief ISD, Richmond Ms. Beth Feger Foster Parent, Austin Ms. Kara Johnson President and CEO, Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition, Austin Ms. Kay Lambert Program Specialist, Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services/Division of Early Childhood Intervention, Austin 3 SCHOOL STABILITY AND TRANSITIONS SUBCOMMITTEE Technical Advisor Ms. Sharon Jackson The Honorable Cheryl Shannon Director for Community Outreach, Meadows Judge, 305th District Court, Dallas Center for Preventing Educational Risk, The University of Texas, Austin Co-chair Ms. Joy Baskin Ms. Virginia Lamb Director, Legal Services Division, Texas Kinship Program Director, Texas Department of Association of School Boards, Austin Family and Protective Services, Dallas Co-chair Ms. April McWilliams The Honorable Karin Bonicoro CPS Youth Specialist, Texas Department of Family Associate Judge, Child Protection Court of Central and Protective Services, El Paso Texas, Austin Ms. Kristine Mohajer Co-chair State Education Program Specialist, Texas Ms. Colleen McCall Department of Family and Protective Services, CPS Director of Field, Texas Department of Family Austin and Protective Services, Austin Ms. Beverly Nelson Co-chair Education Specialist, Texas Department of Family Mr. W. Montgomery Meitler and Protective Services, Arlington Assistant Counsel and Confidentiality Officer, Office of Legal Services, Texas Education Agency, Ms. Leora Olorunnisomo Austin Attorney, Dallas Co-chair Ms. Helen Bette Robinson The Honorable Phil Vanderpool CASA Volunteer, CASA of Bell and Coryell Judge, 223rd District Court, Pampa Counties, Harker Heights Ms. Sarah Abrahams Ms. Jeanne Stamp Program Specialist, Casey Family Programs, Senior Program Coordinator, The Texas Homeless Austin Education Office, The University of Texas, Austin Ms. Irene Clements Mr. Armin Steege Foster and Adoptive Parent, Austin Vice President of Programs, Austin Children’s Shelter, Austin Ms. Cathy Cockerham Program Operations Director, Texas CASA, Austin Ms. Debbie Welborn Education Specialist, Texas Department of Family Ms. Zophelia Conley and Protective Services, Knox City CPS Youth Specialist, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Dallas Ms. Helen Gaebler Senior Research Attorney, William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, The University of Texas School of Law, Austin Ms. Ellen House School Attorney, Midland ISD, Midland 4 SCHOOL EXPERIENCE, SUPPORTS, AND ADVOCACY SUBCOMMITTEE Technical Advisor Mr. Mike Foster The Honorable Patricia Macías Program Specialist, A World For Children, Judge, 388th District Court, El Paso Round Rock Co-chair Ms. Deborah Fowler Ms. Denise Brady Deputy Director, Texas Appleseed, Austin Senior CPS Policy Attorney, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Austin Ms. Andrea Frye Assistant Public Defender, Child Welfare Division, Co-chair Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, Dallas The Honorable Angela E. Ellis Associate Judge, 315th Juvenile Court, Houston Ms. Christina Garrett Foster Parent, Houston Co-chair The Honorable Richard Garcia Ms. Kathy Goodwin Associate Judge, Bexar County Children’s Court, Former Special Education Teacher, Houston San Antonio Mr. Sam Greer Co-chair Executive Director, Foster Apprentice Training The Honorable Rob Hofmann Enterprises, Inc., Austin Associate Judge, Child Protection Court of the Hill Country, Mason Ms. Susan Holley Associate Executive Director, Texas Association of Co-chair School Administrators, Austin The Honorable Virginia Schnarr Associate Judge, Sabine Valley Child Protection Ms. Patricia Howard Court, Daingerfield Kinship Development Worker, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Odessa Co-chair Ms. Julie Wayman Ms. Carolyn Landstrom Director, Dropout Prevention and Recovery CASA volunteer and retired educator, Highland Initiatives, Texas Education Agency, Austin Lakes CASA, Kingsland Ms. Linda Brooke Mr. Richard Lavallo Director of External Affairs, Policy and Education Legal Director, Disability Rights Texas, Austin Services, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, Austin Ms. Sherry Lynn Ms. Katara Butler Education Specialist, Texas Department of Family Conservatorship Program Director, Texas and Protective Services, Quitman Department of Family and Protective Services, Houston Ms. Kristine Mohajer State Education Program Specialist, Texas Mr. Christopher D. Caesar Department of Family and Protective Services, Director of Dropout Prevention, Houston ISD, Austin Houston Ms. Adrienne Nichols Ms. Carolyn Counce Educational Specialist, Texas Department of Director, Policy Service and BoardBook, Texas Family and Protective Services, Lubbock Association of School Boards, Austin Ms. Nancy Palencia Ms. Sheila Craig Foster Parent, El Paso Disproportionality Project Manager, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Center for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities, Austin 5 Ms. Mary Christine Reed Ms. Cheronda Tillman Director, Foster Youth Justice Hotline, Texas Rio CPS Youth Specialist, Texas Department of Family Grande Legal Aid, Austin and Protective Services, San Antonio Ms. Sheryl Russell Mr. Jim Walsh Program Administrator, Texas Department of Attorney, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Gallegos and Family and Protective Services, Lubbock Green, Austin Ms. Patricia Salinas Mr. James Vardy Family Group Decision Making Program Education Specialist (ret.), Texas Department of Specialist, Texas Department of Family and Family and Protective Services, Protective Services, Edinburg Wolfforth Mr. Leon Smith Ms. Celia Villasenor Executive Director, Therapeutic Family Life, Austin Attorney, El Paso Mr. Russell A. Smith Executive Director, Austin Child Guidance Center, Austin Mr. Charles Stafford School Board Member, Denton Ms. Vicki Summers Thornton Special Education Director, Longview ISD, Longview 6 POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE Technical Advisor Ms. Elaine Carter The Honorable Cheryl Shannon Supervisor, Prevention Services, Casey Family Judge, 305th District Court, Dallas Programs, Austin Co-chair Ms.