Lisa Cunningham
Birmingham,Alabama
Summary
Experienced Special Education Program Specialist at Vestavia Hills City Schools, proficient in Individualized Instruction and team collaboration. Committed to fostering strong parent-teacher partnerships to enhance student success. Skilled professional at developing tailored learning plans and delivering instruction to diverse learners. Demonstrates success in implementing evidence-based strategies to support students' academic, social, and emotional growth, driven by a passion for positively impacting the lives of students with special needs.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM SPECIALIST
Vestavia Hills City Schools
07.2014 - Current
- Serve as liaison between special education department and schools across district.
- Participate in development of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) to target student's academic, speech/language, social-emotional, executive function, and behavioral goals.
- Provide ongoing consultation to teachers and administrators to develop cutting-edge, creative, and innovative instructional programs to enhance student's learning and ability to participate in school setting.
- Assist special education staff in monitoring IEP goals and student progress, and making modifications to IEP goals when deemed necessary.
- Develop caring, trusting connections and relationships to families of children with special needs, while simultaneously supporting school staff.
- Serve as leader on IEP teams in high stress situations when students are engaging in significant problem behaviors.
- Collaborate with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and multi-disciplinary teams of professionals and coordinate assessments, analyze data, and develop systematic treatment plans including when students need alternate learning environment or homebound services.
- Collaborate with special education attorney to advise administrators and teachers on complex cases, due processes, and state complaints.
- Provided guidance to special education teachers on best practices for instruction of students with learning challenges.
READING COACH
CAHABA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY
08.2008 - 05.2014
- Participated in extensive dyslexia training and provided dyslexia intervention to students.
- Monitored and analyzed reading data for over 350 students.
- Facilitated data meetings, collaborated with teachers and administrator to guide reading instruction and school improvement.
- Assessed and evaluated reading levels of students to determine appropriate instructional strategies
- Facilitated teacher professional development workshops on best practices for teaching reading.
- Facilitated collaboration among teachers, administrators, and district personnel to identify areas of improvement in reading instruction.
- Coached staff members on how to effectively differentiate instruction based upon student needs.
- Provided ongoing support for educators in implementing evidence-based interventions within classroom setting.
- Rotary Teacher of the Year 2012.
ELEMENTARY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
VESTAVIA HILLS ELEMENTARY-CENTRAL
08.1999 - 05.2007
- Designed and implemented Individualized Education Plans for students with varying disabilities across content areas.
- Administered assessments with students and reviewed results with all stakeholders.
- Designed and implemented behavior intervention plans for students with significant behavioral needs.
- Maintained state-mandated records and kept on-going documentation on each student.
- Coordinated meetings with teachers, parents, and administrators to review Individual Education Plan on regular basis.
- Worked collaboratively general education teacher and related services providers
- Utilized various instructional strategies such as cooperative learning, direct instruction, and differentiated instruction.
- Delivered effective and differentiated classroom instruction to range of neurodiverse students
- Taught multiple subjects to students with intellectual or emotional disabilities
- Redirected students using Positive Behavior Support (PBS)
- Cultivated connections and strong student rapport to foster classroom engagement, in addition to recording student progress to inform parents and school administration
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
ERWIN ELEMENTARY
08.1996 - 05.1999
- Taught all content areas in self-contained classroom K-2nd.
- Designed and implemented behavior plans for students with aggressive and oppositional defiant behaviors.
- Coordinated meetings with teachers, parents, and administrator to review Individual Education plans on regular basis.
- Maintained state-mandated records and kept on-going documentation on each student.
- Continually assessed student's academic and behavior needs.
- Communicated with teachers, parents, and students effectively.
- Provided academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support for students in need.
- Participated in regular meetings with administrators, teachers, and parents to discuss student progress and interventions.
- Maintained records on each student's progress throughout school year.
- Utilized variety of teaching strategies to support learning of diverse learners.
Education
Educational Leadership Certification - Masters of Education
Samford University
Birmingham, AL02.2015
Collaborative Special Education Teacher (P-6) - Masters of Education
University of Alabama At Birmingham
Birmingham, AL01.1998
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Education
Auburn University
Auburn, AL12.1996
Skills
- Dyslexia Training
- Effective Communication
- Student Advocacy
- Conflict Resolution Techniques
- Motivating Students
- Individualized Education Plans
- Classroom Accommodations
- Parent-Teacher Collaboration
- Individual Instruction
- Student Records Management
- Instructional Strategies
- Progress Monitoring
Certification
- Instructional Leader
- Collaborative Special Education (P-6)
- Early Childhood (P-3)
- NCLB Highly Qualified: Collaborative Teacher (K6) and Reading (P-12)
Professional Development
- Learn and Lead for Administrators, LEA training, 2021-2023
- Learn and Lead for Teachers, IEP Meeting Process, Content and Legal Compliance 2021-2023
- Preparing Aspiring Administrators, 2021-2023
- Understanding General Supervision of Special Education, 2021
- ALA-Case Legal Conference, 2014-2021
- Legal Retreat for Special Education Coordinators, 2015-2020
- Alabama Associates of 504 Coordinators Conference, 2015-2019
- Alabama State Department of Education MEGA Conference, 2015-2019
Timeline
SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM SPECIALIST
Vestavia Hills City Schools
07.2014 - Current
READING COACH
CAHABA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY
08.2008 - 05.2014
ELEMENTARY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
VESTAVIA HILLS ELEMENTARY-CENTRAL
08.1999 - 05.2007
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
ERWIN ELEMENTARY
08.1996 - 05.1999
Educational Leadership Certification - Masters of Education
Samford University
Collaborative Special Education Teacher (P-6) - Masters of Education
University of Alabama At Birmingham
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Education
Auburn University
- Instructional Leader
- Collaborative Special Education (P-6)
- Early Childhood (P-3)
- NCLB Highly Qualified: Collaborative Teacher (K6) and Reading (P-12)
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