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January 30, 2026
The next Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Special Education Directors' Forum will be held virtually on Friday, February 13, 2026, from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Please register for the webinar on the ZoomGov website; you will then receive a link to join the webinar.
Webinar attendees will be muted; please use the Question and Answer (Q&A) function in Zoom to ask questions during the Forum. Our partners at Paradigm Veritext will provide a live transcription of the Forum through Zoom. During the Forum, access the captions with the Closed Caption button at the bottom right of the Zoom meeting screen. If you wish to access the American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, please email mde.special-ed@state.mn.us.
This Forum will be recorded. A captioned version will be made available for later viewing.
Agenda
Welcome and Announcements
Sonia Smith, Director of Special Education, MDE
Minnesota Administrators for Special Education (MASE) Update
Erin Toninato, Executive Director, MASE
Amy Ernst, President, MASE
Agency and Legislative Updates
Daron Korte, Assistant Commissioner, MDE
Special Education Funding
Paul Ferrin, Special Education Funding & Data Supervisor, MDE
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
Danielle Hayden, Director of Early Education, MDE
Indicator Data Collection Record Review
Rebecca Nesset, Program Monitoring Supervisor, MDE
Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) and Care and Treatment
Tom Delaney, Interagency Partnerships Supervisor, MDE
Office of General Council: Statewide Restrictive Procedures Data 2024-25
Ellen Seibert, Associate General Counsel, MDE
Patty Popp, Specific Learning Disabilities Specialist at MDE; Brad Witzel, PhD, an Adelaide Worth Daniels Distinguished Professor at Western Carolina University; Sarah Powell, PhD, Professor at The University of Texas at Austin; Karen Tzanetopoulos, MS, CCC-SLP, at Learning to Full Potential LLC; and Sandra Elliott, PhD at Elliott Street Consultancy LLC.
This webinar will introduce a series of free training modules currently in development to strengthen teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills for teaching mathematics to students with disabilities and those in need of intervention. International experts in mathematical learning for students with mathematics difficulties—Drs. Sarah Powell and Brad Witzel will be joined by Karen Tzanetopoulos, a speech-language practitioner and researcher with expertise in the cognitive processes involved in learning mathematics, and Dr. Sandra Elliott, a leading authority on mathematics education and learning differences. Together, they will discuss customized learning modules that will soon be available for usability testing.
The Minnesota Department of Education remains committed to ensuring every child—of every background and ability, and regardless of immigration status—deserves access to a world-class education. We will continue to advocate for the stability, resources, and policies that ensure every student is safe and has the opportunity to succeed.
Please take a moment to revisit our previous guidance on navigating changes in federal immigration policy. Minnesota law and binding guidance from the Minnesota Attorney General affirm that schools must remain safe spaces for all students, regardless of immigration status.
We have received many questions about online options. Here is information about options available under Minnesota statute.
Charter schools and districts can provide online instructional opportunities to their own enrolled students. Plans for online instruction need to consider how the needs of all students can be met, including students with disabilities and students learning English. Requirements for online instruction are outlined in Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.094, and additional guidance is available on the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) website, including information specific to special education.
Districts and charter schools may create cooperative agreements to provide online instruction to their students. Leaders may want to consider forming agreements with experienced supplemental online providers to meet the needs of their students. MDE staff are available to consult with leaders who are considering online instruction. Contact MDE Online Learning (mde.onlinelinelearning@state.mn.us) for support.
Thank you for your continued commitment to student learning, safety, and well-being.
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