Committee co-chair for learning differences: Shoshanna R. Schechter, MA, Ed.D (ABD) is a passionate and committed MSDE certified Special Educator (6th-adult, generic), Proud Autism Mom, Social Emotional Learning Warrior, Inclusion Advocate, Trauma Informed Educator and Restorative Justice Practitioner. She specializes in empowering students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds with ED, ASD, ADHD, ADD, ODD, GTLD to understand their limitless potential and embrace their neurodiversity. She has completed additional training in: Correctional education, CPI (Crisis Prevention/Intervention, Restraint/Seclusion, behavior management/ de-escalation), administering and interpreting screening assessments, determining disability eligibility, creating and adjusting IEP goals, supplementary aids and accommodations as well as leading FBA and BIF processes, data collection, secondary reading intervention, ELL pedagogy and parent/caregiver education. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Jewish Studies from University of Maryland College Park and her Master’s Degree in Jewish Studies (focusing on Jewish Women’s and Gender Studies) from the Kekst Graduate School of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Along with several years of Rabbinical School coursework, Ms. Schchter returned to JTS in 2017 and in conjunction with Columbia Teachers College is currently completing her dissertation for an Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Research. She holds a Certificate in Distance Learning Instruction from the University of Texas- El Paso (UTEP) where she has been serving as a member of Humanities and Gender Studies faculty since 2016. Before privoting her full time career to Special Education, Shoshanna worked in Higher Education administration and instruction at several colleges and universities, including Randolph-Macon College and Virginia Commonwealth University as well as non-profit executive leadership. Given her passion for educational equity, Ms. Schechter recently left her role with Montgomery County Public School Special Education to devote her full time work to the Maya Angelou/See Forever Foundation as a Special Educator and Case-Manager at the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) Youth Services Center in Northeast DC.