09/29/2026
By John McKenna

We invite you to Coburn Hall for the School of Education's Fall Symposium, which will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 4:30 p.m. The theme is “Special Education in Massachusetts: Past, Present and Future.”

Deputy Commissioner Robert Curtin of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will deliver the keynote address, which will be followed by a panel discussion. Panelists have extensive experience educating Massachusetts children with disabilities, supporting their families or resolving special education-related disputes.

Panelists

  • Dr. Francisco Vicente, former Deputy Chief of Instructional Services & Professional Learning for Boston Public Schools
  • Athanasia “Soula” Bousious, Special Education Director for Lowell Public Schools
  • Francine Rosenberg, Executive Director for the Northshore Education Consortium
  • Ellen Chambers, Founder of SPEDWatch
  • Dr. Roxanne Pitta, Parent, BCBA, special educator and Consultant for the Integrated Center for Child Development
  • David Scanlon, Associate Professor of Special Education at Boston College; Administrator for SpedEx Consultation IEP Dispute Resolution Project
  • Leslie Leslie, J.D., Project Director for the Federation for Children with Special Needs

Breakout sessions

Three breakout sessions will be offered:

  • Basic Rights Denied: Ellen Chambers from SpedWatchMa will discuss strategies caregivers can use to prevent and/or respond to situations in which their child's special education-related rights are denied.
  • Your Child's Future: What You Need to Know About Time Out, Restraint and Seclusion: Kathy Trainor from Ask Advocacy will emphasize the new DESE policy on seclusion that started in August.
  • Disability Services in Higher Education: Developing Self-Advocacy and Passing the Baton from Parent/Guardian to the Student: Jodi Rachins from Disability Services will present.

A virtual attendance option is available to persons who RSVP using the online RSVP form.

Please email John McKenna at John_McKenna@uml.edu if you have any questions.

Thank you for considering our event,

John McKenna
Patricia Fontaine
Liz Ambe
Micah Klayman