Karen is an associate professor and faculty lead at Shawnee State University & TVI Consortium and is a member of the Extensive Support Needs Committee and LISD Collaborative
What is your current role and how are you involved with the Ohio Deans Compact?
I am currently a faculty representative from Shawnee State University on the Ohio Deans Compact on Exceptional Children, representing the TVI Consortium and the LISD Collaborative. I am also a member of the Extensive Support Needs Committee.
In what ways has your involvement with the Compact benefited you or your organization?
The TVI Consortium and LISD Collaborative would not exist without the efforts and continued support from the Ohio Deans Compact. The work and leadership of the Compact and Extensive Support Needs Committee led to the design and implementation of multiple collaborative personnel preparation programs for children with low incidence sensory disabilities. Through my involvement, I have been able to build partnerships between Institutions of higher education and agency partners to improve services for children who are blind/visually impaired, Deaf/hard of hearing, or deafblind across Ohio.
Why do you believe the Compact’s work matters?
The Compact fosters collaboration among Institutions of higher education, PK-12 school districts, agency partners, and professional organizations to help all students in Ohio succeed. This work is vitally important to children with exceptionalities as they not only equip educators with knowledge on evidence-based practices but also help prepare educators to implement those evidence-based practices.
What aspects of the Compact’s work are most exciting or meaningful to you?
The incentive grant funding opportunities that the Compact have provided to IHEs across the state has made a meaningful impact on students with exceptional learning needs. I love the opportunities to meet and connect with education partners across the state during the quarterly meetings and at the annual conference. It is wonderful to hear from leading experts during these events and the takeaways from those sessions lead to improvements in practice across university educator preparation programs and have a positive impact on students across Ohio.