In The Politics of Autism, I write about special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued the following statement today on President Biden's intent to nominate Glenna Gallo for assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services at the U.S. Department of Education:
"I am thrilled that President Biden has nominated Glenna Gallo to serve as assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services at the U.S. Department of Education. This nomination shows a deep commitment from this administration to ensure our nation’s students with disabilities receive the services and supports they need to reach their potential. Glenna brings decades of deep expertise in special education and a strong record of supporting students with disabilities to this role. During her work in Washington state as the assistant superintendent of special education, Glenna oversaw millions of dollars for state special education programs and worked to ensure these programs adequately supported and uplifted students with disabilities. Glenna’s commitment to supporting the special education community will be instrumental in shaping and implementing the Department's goals and strategies. I am thankful for her willingness to serve our nation."
About Glenna Gallo
Glenna Gallo has served as the assistant superintendent of special education in the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Washington since 2017. Prior to that, she spent seven years as the state director of special education for the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), following work as a classroom teacher and administrator. She has over 25 years of public education experience supporting students with disabilities and adults entering and within the teaching profession, and 16 years of experience in state-level educational leadership with expertise in the improvement planning, data analysis, and monitoring of public prek-12+ special education programs. Glenna has Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in special education, special education teacher and administrative licenses, endorsements as a program administrator, principal, and superintendent, and a Master of Business Administration.
During her work in Washington state, special education programs were allocated an additional $155 million for state special education programs, $37 million for improvement of statewide inclusionary practices, $12 million for paraeducator training, and $60,000 to reduce the use of restraint and isolation. During her tenure, the historical state special education funding allocation formula was revised to a two-tier system that supports inclusionary practices, and the state high-needs risk pool process was also revised to reduce administrative burden on school districts. Collaboration is a priority for her work, and collaborative efforts were infused within all state efforts regarding students with disabilities. Glenna feels strongly that application of the intent of IDEA requirements results in increased student outcomes for students with disabilities. She works with school and district administrators, special education staff, advocates, parents and families of students with disabilities at the local, state, and national levels to review research, current student achievement data, stakeholder feedback, and compliance data to ensure state and local efforts are addressing instructional issues that impact results for students with disabilities.
