ESSU Responsibilities List

COVID-19 and Special Education

View information for educators and parents to support students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assistance for Parents

Special Education

Parents with questions about Special Education or needing assistance can contact the Office of Special Education at:

Phone: 303-866-6757
Email: Parents_ESSUquestions@cde.state.co.us

Young Children (Birth to age 5) or Preschool

For parents with questions about their young children (birth to age 5) or Preschool Special Education please contact the Preschool Team:

Phone: 303-501-0837
Email: White_H@cde.state.co.us

Preschool Special Education and Child Find Contacts

Gifted Education

For parents of students in Gifted Education, please contact Gifted Education Team:

Phone: 303-866-6652
Email: McKinney_R@cde.state.co.us

This page lists contacts for content areas within the Exceptional Student Services Unit. Click on any letter from the alphabet to jump to a section.

* Indicates when there is a main contact.

18-21 - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

18-21

18‐21-Year-Old Transition Services
Gail Lott
Email Gail Lott
303‐866‐6721

A

Accommodations (Instructional)
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Adapted Physical Education
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303-866-6605

Adult Agencies/Interagency Collaboration
Katie Oliver
Email Katie Oliver
303‐866‐6701

Affective Needs of Students with Disabilities
Bill Brown
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000

Alternate Achievement Standards (see also Extended Evidence Outcomes/EEO’s)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303‐866‐6649

Cindy Petersen
Email Cindy Petersen
303‐866‐6106

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Advisory Board
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303‐866‐6649

Assessment (alternate) for Students with Disabilities (state and district)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Assessment (general) for Students with Disabilities (state and district)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Assistive Technology (SWAAAC) Training and Support
Maureen Melonis
Email Maureen Melonis
303‐315‐1283

Assistive Technology Loan Bank
Maureen Melonis
Email Maureen Melonis
303‐315‐1283

Audiology
Shauna Moden
Email Shauna Moden
303‐866‐6707

Autism Spectrum Disorders
Brooke Carson
Email Brooke Carson
303‐866‐6691

B

Behavior/Mental Health for Students with Disabilities
Bill Brown
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000

Blindness / Low Vision
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)
Brooke Carson
Email Brooke Carson
303‐866‐6691

Braille / Braillists
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Brain Injury
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

C

Career Tech Education/Vocational Education
Gail Lott
Email Gail Lott
303‐866‐6721

Central Auditory Processing/Hearing Loss
Shauna Moden
Email Shauna Moden
303‐866‐6707

Charter Schools
Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

Child Find (Birth through Age 5)
Mary Morin (P-3 Office)
Email Mary Morin
720-766-6507

CMAS for Students with Disabilities
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Cochlear Implants
Shauna Moden
Email Shauna Moden
303‐866‐6707

Colorado Alternate Assessment (CO‐Alt)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Colorado Autism Education Network
Brooke Carson
Email Brooke Carson
303‐866‐6691

Colorado Autism Mentoring Program (CAMP)
Brooke Carson
Email Brooke Carson
303‐866‐6691

Colorado Continuous Improvement Process (CCIP)
Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

Megan Tannozzini
Tannozzini_m@cde.state.co.us

Colorado Services for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss Project (Deafblind Grant)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Colorado Special Education Advisory Committee (CSEAC)
Joyce Thiessen‐ Barrett
Email Joyce Thiessen_Barrett
303‐866‐6757

Complaints Investigation (Ordered Remedies/Timelines)
Brandon Edelman
Email Brandon Edelman
303‐866‐6876

Complaints Investigation (State Level)
Brandon Edelman
Email Brandon Edelman
303‐866‐6876

Ross Meyers
Email Ross Meyers
303-866-3801

Ashley Schubert
Email Ashley Schubert
303-866-6311

Rachel Dore
Email Rachel Dore
303-866-6619

Comprehensive Plan
Kerry Whitmore
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

Connect for Success
TBD
Email
303-866-

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity for Students with Disabilities
Hunter Smith
Email Hunter Smith
303-866-6707

Cyber Schools
Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

D

Data Management System (DMS)
Melissa Chaffin
Email Melissa Chaffin
303‐866‐6819

Deaf-blindness (combined vision and hearing loss)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Deafness/Hard of Hearing
Shauna Moden
Email Shauna Moden
303‐866‐6707

AU Determinations
Gloria Durosko
Email Gloria Durosko
303‐866‐6976

Developmental Delay
Marcia Blum (P-3 Office)
Email Marcia Blum
720-799-4015

Dispute Resolution General Information
Jenny Woods*
Email Jenny Woods
303‐866‐6889

Brandon Edelman
Email Brandon Edelman
303‐866‐6876

District-Wide Alternate Assessment
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Due Process Decision Monitoring
Becky O'Malley
Email Becky O'Malley
303-895-5108

Due Process General Information
Jenny Woods
Email Jenny Woods
303‐866‐6889

Dynamic Learning Map (DLM) ‐ Instruction
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Dyslexia
Ellen Hunter
Email Ellen Hunter
303‐866‐6244

Veronica Fiedler
Email Veronica Fiedler
303‐866‐6863

E

Educational Interpreters
Shauna Moden
Email Shauna Moden
303‐866‐6707

Educational Surrogate Parents (Coordination and Training)
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303-866-6649

Educational Surrogate Parents (Database)
Cindy Petersen
Email Cindy Petersen
303-866-6106

eLearning Products and Procedures
Amanda Timmerman
Email Amanda Timmerman
303-866-6969

Kathy Wheatley
Email Kathy Wheatley
303‐866‐6986

Eligibility of Students with Disabilities
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

English Learners with Disabilities
Hunter Smith*
Email Hunter Smith

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI)
Michael Ramirez
Email Michael Ramirez
303‐866‐6991

ESSU Statewide Data Management System (Includes Electronic IEP)
Kerry Whitmore
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

Extended Evidence Outcomes/EEO’s (see also Alternate Achievement Standards)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Extended School Year (ESY)
Vacant

F

Facility Schools
Judy Stirman*
Email Judy Stirman
303‐866‐6684

Lori Kochevar
Email Lori Kochevar
303‐866‐6799

Facility Schools Assessment/Data
Erik Hilton
Email Erik Hilton

Facility Schools Curriculum
Wendy Dunaway
Email Wendy Dunaway
303‐866‐6995

Facility Schools Graduation/Diplomas
Lori Kochevar
Email Lori Kochevar
303‐866‐6799

Facility Schools Induction Programs
Judy Stirman
Email Judy Stirman
303‐866‐6684

Facility Schools Monitoring
Robin Singer
Email Robin Singer
303‐866‐5509

Ann Symalla
Email Ann Symalla
303‐866‐6473

Facility Schools Student Data System
Brittany Hanley
Email Brittany Hanley
303‐866‐6892

Family‐School Partnering
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303‐866‐6649

Family‐School Partnering- Data
Pahmela Mendoza
Email Pahmela Mendoza
303‐866‐6771

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)/Prenatal Substance Exposure
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

G

General Supervision and Monitoring (CCIP)
Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

Megan Tannozzini
Email Megan Tanozzini
303-866-6812

Rebecca O'Malley
Email Rebecca O'Malley
303‐866‐6109

Nick Smosna
Email Nick Smosna
303‐866‐4640

Cindy Petersen
Email Cindy Petersen
303-866-6106

Gifted Education – Data/Monitoring
Terri Loiselle
Email Terri Loiselle

Gifted Education – Professional Learning/Monitoring
Miles Skoog
Email Miles Skoog

Gifted Education- Program Support/Data Management System (DMS)
Diane Barranco
Email Diane Barranco
303‐866‐6631

Gifted Education- Twice Exceptional
Cynthia Rundquist
Email Cynthia Rundquist
303‐866‐6232

H

Hearing Screening (includes newborns)
Shauna Moden
Email Shauna Moden
303‐866‐6707

Home Schooling

Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

I

IDEA Federal Application Budget System - Staff and Contract Approvals
Lauren Rossini
Email Lauren Rossini
303‐866‐6688

IDEA Federal Application Budget System - All Other Approvals
Evan Davis (Grants Fiscal Office)
Email Evan Davis
720-616-9183

IDEA Federal Application Narratives
Cindy Petersen
Email Cindy Petersen
303-866-6106

IDEA Part B Monitoring
Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐604

IDEA Part C
Heidi White* (P-3 Office)
Email Heidi White
303-501-0837

Mary Morin (P-3 Office)
Email Mary Morin
720-766-6507

IEP Facilitation
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303‐866‐6649

IEP Facilitator Trainings/Coaching
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303‐866‐6649

IEP Forms
Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

IEP Interchange for Data Pipeline
Kerry Whitmore
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

IEP Training

Megan Tannozzini
Tannozzini_m@cde.state.co.us

Rebecca O'Malley
Email Rebecca O'Malley
303‐866‐6109

Kerry Whitmore
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

Indicator 1: Graduation
Gail Lott
Email Gail Lott
303‐866‐6721

Indicator 2: Dropout Rates
Gail Lott
Email Gail Lott
303‐866‐6721

Indicator 4: Suspension/Expulsion Rates of Students with Disabilities
Bill Brown
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000

Indicator 8: Parent Surveys
Joyce Thiessen‐Barrett
Email Joyce Thiessen_Barrett
303‐866‐6757

Indicator 13: Transition IEPs
Gloria Durosko
Email Gloria Durosko
303‐866‐6885

Indicator 14: Post School Outcomes
Gail Lott
Email Gail Lott
303‐866‐6721

Intellectual Disability (ID)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Interveners (for children with deaf‐blindness)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

L

Learning Media Assessment / Learning Media Plans
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Licensure (Special Education only)
Lauren Rossini
Email Lauren Rossini
303‐866‐6688

Literacy Initiatives
Ellen Hunter
Email Ellen Hunter
303‐866‐6244

M

Manifestation Determination
Bill Brown
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000

Mediation for Dispute Resolution and Requests for Mediation Services
Jenny Woods
Email Jenny Woods
303‐866‐6889

Mental Health for Students with Disabilities
Bill Brown
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000

Krista Klabo
Email Krista Klabo
720-284-2524

Monitoring of Ordered Remedies on State Complaints
Candace Hawkins
Email Candace Hawkins
303‐866‐6213

Becky O'Malley
Email Becky O'Malley
303-895-5108

Moodle Courses (CDE’s Learning Management System)
Amanda Timmerman*
Email Amanda Timmerman
303-866-6969

Kathy Wheatley
Email Kathy Wheatley
303-866-6986

Multiple Disabilities
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Multi-tiered System of Supports (PBIS for SWD)
Bill Brown
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000

Veronica Fiedler
Email Veronica Fiedler
303-866-6863

N

National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC)
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards (NIMAS)
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

New Special Education Directors' Orientation
TBD

O

Occupational Therapy
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303-866-6605

Online Programs
Kerry Whitmore*
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialists
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Orthopedic Impairment
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303-866-6605

Other Health Impaired
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

P

Parent Phone Calls
Joyce Thiessen-Barrett
Email Joyce Thiessen_Barrett
303-866-6757

Parent Training - Skills for Resolving Conflict
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303‐866‐6649

Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP)
Pahmela Mendoza
Email Pahmela Mendoza
303‐866‐6771

PEAK Parent Center- ADR work
Katherine Rains
Email Katherine Rains
303‐866‐6649

Preschool Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Heidi White (P-3 Office)
Email Heidi White
303-501-0837

Preschool Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS)
Marcia Blum (P-3 Office)
Email Marcia Blum
720-799-4015

Preschool Response to Intervention (RtI)
Marcia Blum (P-3 Office)
Email Marcia Blum
720-799-4015

Preschool Special Education
Heidi White* (P-3 Office)
Email Heidi White
303-501-0837

Marcia Blum (P-3 Office)
Email Marcia Blum
720-799-4015

Private Schools
Kerry Whitmore
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

R

Read Act/Differentiated Pathways for Students with Disabilities
Ellen Hunter
Email Ellen Hunter
303‐866‐6244

Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)
Brooke Carson
Email Brooke Carson
303‐866‐6691

Residential/Day Treatment
Judy Stirman
Email Judy Stirman
303‐866‐6684

RtI/MTSS Family and Community Partnering Online Classes
Joyce Thiessen‐Barrett
Email Joyce Thiessen_Barrett
303‐866‐6757

S

School Mental Health Services
Krista Klabo
Email Krista Klabo
720-284-2524

School Psychologists
Krista Klabo
Email Krista Klabo
720-284-2524

School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP)
Katie Oliver
Email Katie Oliver
303‐866‐6701

School-to-Career Initiatives
Katie Oliver
Email Katie Oliver
303‐866‐6701

Secondary Transition Assessments
Gail Lott
Email Gail Lott
303‐866‐6721

Secondary Transition Training
Gail Lott
Email Gail Lott
303‐866‐6721

Serious Emotional Disabilities (SED)
Bill Brown
Email Bill Brown
720-603-3000

Significant Disproportionality
Gloria Durosko
Email Gloria Durosko
303‐866‐6885

Nicholas Smosna
Email Nicholas Smosna
(303) 866-4640

Significant Support Needs Network- SSN Sites
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Significant Support Needs/Intellectual Disabilities
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

Social Workers
Krista Klabo
Email Krista Klabo
720-284-2524

Special Education Data
Gloria Durosko*
Email Gloria Durosko
303‐866‐6885

Orla Bolger
Email Orla Bolger
303‐866‐6896

Alyssa Ohleyer
Email Alyssa Ohleyer
303‐866‐6308

Special Education Director Mentor Project
TBD

Special Education Finance - AU Level
Evan Davis (Grants Fiscal Office)
Email Evan Davis
720-616-9183

Special Education Finance - State Level
Vicki Graham
Email Vicki Graham
303‐866‐6442

Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee (SEFAC)
Vicki Graham
Email Vicki Graham
303‐866‐6442

Special Education Fiscal Advisory Committee High-Cost Student Reimbursement
Vicki Graham
Email Vicki Graham
303‐866‐6442

Special Education Personnel Data Reporting
Lauren Rossini
Email Lauren Rossini
303‐866‐6688

Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Veronica Fiedler
Email Veronica Fiedler
303‐866‐6863

Speech or Language Impairments
Shani O'Brien
Email Shani O'Brien
303-868-8351

Speech‐Language Pathology (SLP)
Shani O'Brien
Email Shani O'Brien
303-868-8351

Speech‐Language Pathology Assistants (SLPAs)
Shani O'Brien
Email Shani O'Brien
303-868-8351

State Alternate Assessments (DLM, CoAlt)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

State Assessments (CMAS Science & Social Studies)
Gina Herrera
Email Gina Herrera
303‐866‐6605

State Assessments (CMAS Science & Social Studies)
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

State Complaint Monitoring- Ordered Remedies
Candace Hawkins
Email Candace Hawkins
303‐866‐6213

State Directors' Leadership Team (SDLT)
Paul Foster
Email Paul Foster
303‐866‐4093

State identified Measurable Result (SiMR) Structured Literacy Project
Ellen Hunter
Email Ellen Hunter
303‐866‐6244

State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR)
Gloria Durosko
Email Gloria Durosko
303‐866‐6885

State‐Level General Supervision System
Candace Hawkins
Email Candace Hawkins
303‐866‐6213

Statewide Data Management System
Kerry Whitmore
Email Kerry Whitmore
303‐866‐6604

SWAAAC (Assistive Technology Teams)
Maureen Melonis
Email Maureen Melonis
303‐315‐1283

T

Traumatic Brain Injury
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Tuition Rates for Approved Facility Schools
Lauren Rossini
Email Lauren Rossini
303‐866‐6688

Tuition Rates for Charter Schools
Lauren Rossini
Email Lauren Rossini
303‐866‐6688

Tuition Rates for Online Schools
Lauren Rossini
Email Lauren Rossini
303‐866‐6688

Twice Exceptional (gifted + disability)
Cynthia Rundquist
Email Cynthia Rundquist
303‐866‐6232

U

US Department of Education/OSEP Requests
Paul Foster
Email Paul Foster
303‐866‐4093

V

Vision Screening (0‐5)
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

Visual Impairment, Including Blindness
Tanni Anthony
Email Tanni Anthony
303‐866‐6681

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