2024 Keynotes
Tessie Bailey, Ph.D.
Director, PROGRESS Center, Advisor to National Center on Intensive Interventions and the Center on MTSS
Dr. Bailey is Director of the PROGRESS Center, which promotes progress for students with disabilities, and advisor for the Center on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS Center) at American Institutes for Research (AIR) and National Center on Intensive Interventions (NCII). She also supports states and districts in implementing special education requirements and MTSS/response to intervention (RTI) through the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) and state contracts. She has developed many widely used resources, including “Aligning Intensive Intervention and Special Education with Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)” in the Essentials of Intensive Intervention, Strategies for Setting High-Quality Academic Individualized Education Program Goals, assessment and intervention professional learning material, self-paced online learning modules, and Guide to Designing Your Screening Process. Dr. Bailey has conducted hundreds of workshops and presentations on effective implementation of MTSS, secondary MTSS, and special education within MTSS/RTI. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Utah in special education and post-doctoral work in MTSS/RTI at Lehigh University.
Matthew K. Burns, Ph.D.
Professor of Special Education, Assistant Director, University of Florida Reading Institute
Dr. Burns is a prolific researcher, having published over 200 articles and book chapters and 15 books, and is dedicated to positively influencing practice in K-12 schools and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders in education. As one of the leading researchers regarding the use of assessment data to determine individual or small-group interventions, Dr. Burns works closely with schools to study and implement multi-tiered systems of support, intensive reading and math interventions, school-based teams, and support students with and without disabilities whose needs are not being met. He is a past editor of School Psychology Review and Assessment for Effective Intervention. Born in Flint Michigan, Dr. Burns is a first-generation college student and served on the faculty of the University of Missouri for nine years, University of Minnesota for 10 years, and Central Michigan University for 5 years.
2024 Speakers
Vincent C. Alfonso, Ph.D.
Interim Dean of the College for Education and Engaged Learning, Montclair State University
Dr. Alfonso is Interim Dean of the College for Education and Engaged Learning at Montclair State University. He was previously the Interim Dean of the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University, Professor and Dean of the School of Education at Gonzaga University, and Professor and Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University. He is past president of Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA) and Fellow of Divisions 16, 5, and 43. He is also Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Dr. Alfonso has received the Outstanding Contributions to Training Award from the Trainers of School Psychologists and the Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award from Division 16 of APA. He is co-author of Essentials of WISC-V Assessment, Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment (3rd Edition), co-editor of Essentials of Specific Learning Disability Identification (2nd Edition), and Essentials of Planning, Selecting, and Tailoring Interventions for the Unique Learner all published by Wiley. In addition, he is co-editor of Healthy Development in Young Children: Evidence-based Interventions for Early Education the APA and Psychoeducational Assessment of Preschool
Children (5th Edition).
Paul Barbato, Ph.D.
Director of Special Services, Dumont Public Schools
Dr. Paul Barbato is the Director of Special Services in the Dumont public schools. Dr. Barbato serves on the following: NJ State Special Education Advisory Council (Chair), New Jersey Association of Pupil Services Administrators (Past President), New Jersey Special Education Administrators Association (Board Member), National Association of Pupil Services Association (Board Member), NJ Principal and Supervisors Association (Special Education Committee / Mental Health Committee), and the Bergen County Special Services School District Advisory Committee (Board Member). Dr. Barbato serves as an Adjunct Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Ramapo University, and Hudson County Community College in NJ. Dr. Barbato is also a NJ Leaders to Leaders (NJL2L) and NJ EXpedited Certification for Educational Leadership (NJEXCEL) Mentor and teaches within the NJEXCEL and NJ Teacher Leader Certification (NJTLC) Programs of NJ Principals and Supervisor Association (NJPSA).
Kristine Esposito, Ed.S., NCSP
President, New Jersey Association of School Psychologists
Kristine Esposito, Ed.S., NCSP is the current President of the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists (NJASP). She has served on the executive board of NJASP for seven years, as a member of Government and Professional Relations (GPR), Professional Development (PD), Finance, Newsletter, Diversity, and as chair of the Conference Committee from 2019 - 2022. Kristine earned her Master’s in School Psychology (M.A.) from Rowan University in 2015 and graduated with her Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in 2017. She is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and a member of the National Association of School Psychologists. Kristine has worked as a school psychologist and child study team member in several school districts in New Jersey, in both rural and urban settings, and previously worked part-time providing counseling for LBTQ+ youth while in graduate school. She also has experience as an advocate for victims of domestic violence. Kristine currently works as a school psychologist for the School District of Philadelphia.
Michele Gardner
Executive Director, New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education
Michele Gardner serves as NJCIE's Executive Director, joining the team with 26 years of experience in the New Jersey public schools, filling a variety of roles including paraprofessional, special education teacher, LDTC, Supervisor, Assistant Principal and Director of Special Services. She has also been an adjunct instructor with The College of New Jersey for 17 years for the Department of Special Education, Language & Literacy. Michele dedicated her administrative career to making public schools inclusive spaces for students with a wide range of learning abilities.
Mr. Will Gordillo
Special Education Subject Matter Expert, PCG
Will Gordillo has worked for PCG since 2015, providing subject matter expertise, thought leadership, and consulting services in a variety of education practice initiatives that support the implementation of special education and behavioral threat assessment (BTA) policies, practices, and integrated solutions nationwide. He is currently a senior associate on the school threat assessment team, providing project advisory for the implementation of integrated solutions that help K-12 schools assess threats to others, threats to self, sexual misconduct, and fire-setting incidents. Prior to joining PCG, he oversaw the day-to-day operations, including special education, psychological services, behavioral and crisis management, and student support services (e.g., 504 and gifted education), for Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Palm Beach County School District in Florida. Will’s extensive K-12 and PCG project work experiences allow him to support the integration of case management solutions that can help schools address threat management effectively with behavioral, mental health, school safety, and whole child well-being in mind.
Ms. Jillian Harring
Senior Advisor, PCG
Jillian Haring comes to PCG with over 20 years of public education service experience. She is passionate about creating safe, supportive, and engaging environments for students and those that work with them. Jillian spent much of her career in one of the largest public-school systems in the country as a district administrator, behavior specialist, and special education educator. Jillian’s multi-faceted career and vast experience in education inform her unique understanding of the interoperability between classroom practices and the systems designed to support them. This experience, combined with her information technology expertise, gives her the ability to assist clients in all aspects of the development, implementation, and ongoing support of PCG solutions.
Sharon Lohrmann, Ph.D.
Director, PBSIS Center, Rutgers University, Clifton and Franklin Twp. Leadership Teams
Dr. Lohrmann is an assistant professor of pediatrics at The Boggs Center, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She has a longstanding commitment to building the capacity to implement multi-tier interventions that result in equitable access to social, emotional, and behavior wellness in New Jersey. Since 2004, she has directed the New Jersey Positive Behavior Support in Schools initiative (NJ PBSIS) in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE), Office of Special Education. In the 2022-23 school year, the NJ PBSIS team delivered training and coaching support to 218 schools in 106 districts, serving more than 130,000 students from 19 counties. Dr. Lohmann serves as a member of the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions and for Research and Practice in Severe Disabilities. She is also a member of the Northeast PBIS Regional Network Advisory group. As an NJ DOE partner, she routinely participates in various NJ DOE workgroups on topics related to social, emotional, and behavioral wellness. Dr. Lohrmann obtained her Ph.D. in special education from Lehigh University in 2004 and is the recipient of the 2009 Dr. Irwin A. Hyman Service to Children Award.
Kerri Walsifer
Director of Special Services, Tinton Falls, NJ
Kerri Walsifer is the Director of Special Services for the Tinton Falls School District in Tinton Falls, NJ. She has presented on such topics as Dyslexia, Co-Teaching as an inclusive Practice and Special Education Data. She has provided coaching to other districts in the area of Special Education. Additionally, she has published multiple articles related to Social Emotional Learning and Special Education. She has served on the NJ Special Education Task Force and Special Education Advisory Committee for New Jersey. Kerri is a passionate educational leader that embraces inclusive practices for all students. She is a mother of 3 children, a dog Dover and a very supportive husband.