Gender

Female

Location

Newton, MA

Organization

Academic Solutions Consulting

Title / Role

President & CEO

Subject(s) I Teach or Learning Interest Area

Special Education Consultant

Personal Interests and Passions

Reading, travel, animals, dance, writing, family activities, forensics, social justice, music, French, & performing arts

Personal Website / ePortfolio / Personal Web Presence (PWP)

http://linkedin.com/in/emily-katz-williamson-m-ed-cags-89645b28

More About Me

Emily K. Williamson, M.Ed., CAGS, Special Education Consultant, is CEO & President of Academic Solutions in Newton, MA. She assists families in navigating the special education process at all stages, from brainstorming solutions to initial concerns, initiating & participating in the eligibility process for possible need of special education services (&/or Section 504 Accommodation Plans, which fall under the auspices of regular education,) to assisting families already involved in special education to address concerns, participating in Team Meetings, mediations, hearings to planning a student’s transition past high school or college. Passionate & knowledgeable about special education law, Ms. Katz Williamson also reviews all proposed paperwork (e.g. IEPs,) & helps to ensure compliance with federal & state laws & regulations. She enjoys maintaining lasting relationships with her students & their families, as well as the districts with whom she collaborates. Ms. Katz Williamson’s firm belief in the Team process benefits her students & has resulted in only positive outcomes. Additionally, Ms. Katz Williamson conducts formal observations, independent educational evaluations (requested by families &/or on behalf of school districts,) provides professional development & consultation to school districts on best special education methodology &/or compliance, collaborates regularly with all professionals involved with a student (private &/or school staff,) & is qualified to serve as an expert witness in court. An additional service that Ms. Katz Williamson provides is individualized consultation & mentoring for educators seeking to refine &/or develop pedagogical methodologies. She also assists teachers in any areas of need regarding special education services, processes, &/or laws and regulations. She volunteers & serves on too many educational committees to list here. It is the combination of Ms. Katz Williamson’s experience that makes her especially rare as a special education consultant: She has been a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, a special education administrator, a school principal, & is a parent of a child with special needs. As such, she understands the roles & challenges that each face, allowing her to make sound contributions in the best interest of each student while maintaining respect & appreciation for all involved. Ms. Katz Williamson earned her B.A. with dual majors (Secondary Education & Foreign Languages,) & a minor in Psychology, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Hartford. During her undergraduate junior year, she also earned a Certificat de la langue française from the Université de Sorbonne in Paris. Following myriad internships at various school settings, Ms. Katz Williamson taught high school French & Spanish as a student teacher for a year at Simsbury High School in Connecticut. Immediately following, Ms. Katz Williamson furthered her education at the University of Hartford by earning her M. Ed. with a concentration in special education. (4.0/4.0 GPA) After several years of teaching special education at the secondary level in Hampton, NH and then Newton, MA, she was nominated by the Superintendent for & selected to represent the Newton Public Schools in a program for promising future educational leaders, sponsored by Harvard & Boston Universities. There, she earned her CAGS in Educational Administration and Leadership. (4.0/4.0 GPA) Initially, Ms. Katz Williamson taught special education at the high school level in NH. Upon her return to MA, she continued teaching special education (including reading) to middle schoolers. Over the years, she has taught students of all ages with emotional &/or behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, autism, health conditions, & other disabilities. While teaching in Newton, Ms. Katz Williamson co-piloted & co-founded the district’s first fully co-taught, integrated program at the middle school level. She also co-developed a schoolwide Teacher Assistance Team, Mock Trial Team, School Spirit Club, French Conversation Club, Teacher Mentoring program, choreographed school musicals, among many other initiatives. After teaching in the integrated program for several years & simultaneously completing her administrative internships to complete her licensure as a Special Education Administrator & School Principal, she reluctantly left the classroom to move on to administration, with the goal of making a broader impact. Ms. Katz Williamson was a school administrator for 17 years. Working in a variety of leadership capacities in multiple school districts, her most frequent role was that of special education administrator & out-of-district coordinator (while often simultaneously assuming role of assistant principal, co-principal, &/or interim principal)— responsible for up to 3 schools & the supervision & evaluation of all special education staff members (76 maximum) at the same time, depending on the district. She was most often hired to improve a district’s compliance & increase the level of rigor/expectations. In addition to multiple licenses to teach special education (pre-K - gr 12, mild to severe,) Ms. Katz Williamson currently holds licensure as Special Education Administrator, Principal, Assistant Principal, & Director, each for grades pre-K - 12 in MA & other states. Ms. Katz Williamson also maintains certifications in the following: Wilson Reading (Levels I & II,) Lindamood-Bell Reading, Project Read, & she has earned certification as a Coach for the Critical Friends Program. While the majority of her clients live in MA, Ms. Katz Williamson provides her consultation services throughout New England (& occasionally remotely across the country.) She is currently welcoming new referrals & can be reached at emilykatzwilliamson@gmail.com.