Director of Special Education and Pupil Services
Timely Information
Save the Date for an Evening Webinar for Get Kids Ready
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) are offering a second opportunity to attend a live webinar for Get Kids Ready on December 9 from 6-7:15 p.m. The first portion of the webinar will feature a presentation covering frequently asked questions DCF received about Get Kids Ready. Then we will have ample time after the presentation for a question and answer session. Join the Zoom Webinar Meeting ID: 860 6665 1232 Passcode: 581786
Pre-registration is not required. Just join the Zoom meeting at the time of the event. You can also download this calendar event to save the information to your calendar. The webinar will have Spanish translation services available. You must join the meeting through the link above (not by calling in by phone) in order to:
- Hear Spanish interpretation
- View the PowerPoint
- Enter questions into the Q&A
Tip – you can download the Zoom app on your smartphone. This will allow all features to be available, including Spanish interpretation, viewing the presentation, and adding questions in the chat. If you are not able to attend this event, you can watch our recorded Tuesday Talks featuring Get Kids Ready on the Tuesday Talks webpage. Just navigate to the November 18: YoungStar Ratings Stabilization Pilot and Get Kids Ready accordion. Learn more about Get Kids Ready on the DCF website.
Job Announcement Reminders
Two Wisconsin DPI leadership positions are available in the fields of special education and pupil services.
DPI Special Education Program Advisor
The DPI is seeking applicants for a Special Education Program Advisor position. Reporting directly to an Assistant State Superintendent, this position will provide statewide coordination of special education and lead a new horizontal special education team at DPI. The Special Education Program Advisor, who will not have direct supervisory responsibility for personnel, will fulfill many of the roles previously held by the State Director of Special Education.
This position will coordinate the work of the Wisconsin DPI special education horizontal team, which is comprised of personnel with different Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and special education (IDEA) laws, regulations, content, data collection, fiscal, and continuous improvement expertise. Major goals for this position include: (a) facilitation of agency staff to develop, implement, and sustain service delivery systems to improve academic and behavioral outcomes for students with disabilities in Wisconsin, including making recommendations regarding use of IDEA funds and (b) collaborate with agency leadership and horizontal special education team to analyze, develop, and review policy initiatives, administrative rules, and legislation for effective special education and related services in local education agencies.
Other major responsibilities include supporting the special education dispute resolution process and general supervision system and overseeing the coordination, collection, and reporting of all required LEA Special Education data collections as part of the Annual Performance Report and State Performance Plan. The Program Advisor is expected to have in-depth knowledge of all state and federal laws, procedures related to special education programs, and required data collections, and will maintain appropriate relationships with counterparts in other states and federal agencies, especially the Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education. The Program Advisor will make complex independent judgements and decisions that impact special education students and programs throughout the state.
Click on this link for more information and how to apply for this position. Applications are due by 11:59p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
This job is posted on the wisc.jobs webpage.
For questions, contact Maria Butters, DPI Human Resources Specialist-Senior, Maria.Butters@dpi.wi.gov.
DPI Student Services Section Leader
The DPI Student Services Section within the Bureau of Teaching and Learning is seeking applicants for a Section Leader position. This position has a statewide impact, supports programs with direct student and educator impact, and involves connecting with colleagues in the education field. If you’re skilled in school-based mental health, strategic planning, partnership building, communicate on, grant management, data-driven decision-making, and leading a team to accomplish strategic goals, please apply today!
The Student Services section provides vision and leadership for programs that promote student health, safety, and well-being, including DPI’s Comprehensive Mental Health Framework and Coordinated School Health services. The section supports the work of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, and teachers, while advancing efforts that support the strategic priority of learner and educator mental health. The section works to ensure all students are supported in ways that enhance their academic and personal success. Additionally, the team coordinates with the Bureau of Grant Administration and Monitoring on state and federal grant programs totaling millions of dollars in areas including: comprehensive school mental health; alcohol and other drug abuse; opioid prevention, peer-to-peer suicide prevention, bullying prevention; and student support and academic enrichment, school-based mental health professionals.
The primary focus of this position involves the provision of expert leadership and management of the department’s student services, prevention and wellness programs and activities to enhance the educational, personal, career and social development of all public school pupils throughout the state. The major objectives of the section are: (a) provision of leadership and management of the student service section, (b) provision of leadership in the development and implementation of resources and technical assistance to schools and districts to support the social and emotional needs of students; (c) assistance in the development of policy initiatives and legislation for effective student services, prevention and wellness programs, and (d) provision of coordination and leadership for strong collaboration among systems.
Click on this link for more information and how to apply for this position. Applications are due by 11:59p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
This job is posted on the wisc.jobs webpage.
For questions, contact Maria Butters, DPI Human Resources Specialist-Senior, Maria.Butters@dpi.wi.gov.
New Resources
Text-to-Speech Testimonials
This resource was originally developed by Nissan Bar-Lev, Director of Special Education, CESA 7. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), with permission of CESA 7, assisted with publishing this resource and it is dedicated to the memory of Nissan Bar-Lev. This resource was developed in alignment with changes to DPI’s individualized education program (IEP) sample forms that spotlight the importance of considering Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) when discussing the need for assistive technology as a special factor for each and every student with an IEP. Click to view How to Use Text-to-Speech in the Classroom: Ideas, Suggestions, and Videos. The resource was added to the DPI Accessible Educational Materials webpage.
Pathways to Success: Community of Practice
Join special educators from Wisconsin to share ideas and resources, and to discuss problems of practice related to meeting the needs of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Click on the Pathways to Success registration link for more information and registration. Meetings will be virtual 3:30-4:30 PM on December 9, 2025, January 13, 2026, February 10, 2026, and March 10, 2026.
Other DPI News
Ed Leaders Dispatch, November 25, 2025
- Update on Recent USDE Announcement
- Key Points from 2025 Wisconsin Act 117
- Early Literacy Updates: Annual Report and Coaching Program Applications
- Comment Period on Proposed Changes to Wisconsin’s Perkins V State Plan
Upcoming Learning Events
12/03/25: Anti-Human Trafficking “It Happens Here” Documentary Screening and Discussion
12/04/25: Postsecondary Transition Plan (PTP) for New Middle and High School Special Education (CESA 4)
12/12/25: Supporting Neurodiverse Students: Resilience: Coping and Relationships
12/10/25: Special Education and Pupil Services Leadership Virtual Academy- December
12/10-11/25: Building Hearts of Successful Schools Conference
04/23-25, 2026: Autism Society’s 37th Annual Conference
Recurring Events
1/22/26, 2/19/26, 3/19/26, 4/16/26: Functional Behavioral Assessment Community of Practice
Monthly, every third Wednesday, beginning December 17, 2025, 12:30-1:15: Specific Learning Disabilities Community of Practice registration link
November 15, 2025 - January 1, 2026: 2025 WI CEC ON Demand Conference, Synergy: The Power of Working Together
Monthly October 2025 - March 2026: Supporting Neurodiverse Students: Year Long Cohort
Second Tuesdays, 1-2pm: New School Social Worker Resource Sharing Sessions
Ongoing in-person events through January: Big Feelings, Bright Futures: Understanding, Responding, and Teaching Emotional Skills in Early Childhood, Early Learning Technical Assistance and Implementation Project
For questions about this email list, please contact Daniel Parker, daniel.parker@dpi.wi.gov. Past updates for this email list can be found on the DPI Weekly News webpage.
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