A Practical Approach to Special Education Administration

Your guide to excelling in the complex role of a special education administrator

The job of the administrator of special education is arguably one of the most difficult in a school district―and that complexity can be overwhelming. It requires an aspect of every administrative job in the district, including budgets, human resources, student advocacy, and curriculum and assessment.

Written by two veteran special education administrators with more than 100 years of combined experience, this book shows current and aspiring special education administrators how to excel in the many demanding areas of their position, allowing them to be effective administrators and educational leaders. Among the many topics included in the book are

• The importance of visibility in the form of face-to-face interactions to assist staff, students, and building principals
• The importance of parents in the process
• The significance of confidentiality, due process, program development, and working with advocates
• Insight into decision-making and relationship-building

A critical tool in any special education administrator′s box, as well as building administrators, central office administrators and school committee members, this book provides practical and friendly advice for a difficult but critical job.

James B. Earley, EdD, is an independent special education consultant, contracted for the LABBB Collaborative, the SEEM Collaborative, the Northshore Education Consortium, and Seaside Educational Consultants. He has 52 years of public education experience as a teacher, teaching assistant principal, and Massachusetts Department of Education supervisor and acting regional special education director; nearly 30 years as administrator of special education and interim superintendent of schools for the Watertown Public Schools; and 12 years as managing director of Walker Partnerships prior to assuming his current consulting activities. Dr. Earley has been a senior lecturer at Lesley University and Wheelock College, an adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a student teacher supervisor for Salem State University. Dr. Earley has consulted for numerous educational organizations, has participated in a variety of special education task forces and committees, and was a member of the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education for 24 years. He has conducted over 125 independent program reviews and evaluations for public schools, private special education schools, and charter schools. He has conducted numerous professional development trainings for school districts within Massachusetts and several other states. He has been recognized for his contributions to the field of special education and received several awards, culminating with being named the 2003 Outstanding Administrator of Special Education by the Council of Administrators of Special Education. He received his bachelor’s in education and his master’s in education, social rehabilitation administration, from Northeastern University in Boston; his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in organizational and administrative theory at Boston University; and his doctorate in education, with an emphasis on educational leadership, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Robert J. McArdle, MEd, is an independent special education consultant with over 47 years in public education as a mediator and educational specialist for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, administrator of special education for Woburn Public Schools, pupil personnel administrator for the Greater Lawrence Technical School and Stoneham Public Schools, executive director of the Greater Lawrence Educational Collaborative and the Gifford School, and Northeast associate manager of Walker Partnerships. Mr. McArdle has been a visiting faculty member at Salem State University, Fitchburg State University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Endicott College. He has served in several interim positions and has mentored both public and private school administrators. Mr. McArdle has conducted over 70 public school special education program evaluations and has served on numerous advisory boards, task forces, and special committees. He has presented at numerous conferences and conducted professional training sessions for school personnel for over 40 years. Mr. McArdle has served in several executive board positions, including president of the Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education. He is also a past recipient of the Massachusetts Special Education Administrator of the Year Award.