Special education director honored
EL CENTRO — The Association of California School Administrators has named Janice Lau, El Centro Elementary School District senior director of Special Education and Student Services, as the 2020 Special Education Administrator of the Year for the region.
Lau’s honor recognized her districtwide initiation of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and universal design for learning, which have promoted instruction and provided students with equal opportunities.
Lau was also instrumental in implementing districtwide the Student Study Team online program, which provides students with intervention to better address their social, emotional and academic needs, an ECESD press release stated.
“I know it may sound like a cliché, but my successes are the result of the work of others and the talented team of individuals that I am so fortunate to work with each and every day,” Lau said in a written statement. “I am truly honored, humbled, blessed and grateful to be a part of such an awesome team of professionals.”
Lau has been serving students with special needs with the district for the past 37 years, initially as a school counselor, then school psychologist and eventually as senior director of Special Education and Support Services.
Her recognition is a reflection of the efforts of her colleagues, including administrators, school psychologists, counselors, health staff, speech/ language specialists, teachers, support staff and paraprofessionals, she said.
“We rely on each other, help one another and together as a team we are stronger,” Lau said.
The district, with Lau’s guidance, has also developed collaborative innovative programs with county Behavioral Health Services and the district’s Family Resource Center to support the well-being of students and their families.
Some of those efforts included the provision of outpatient services as well as school-based programs to serve kindergarten and elementary students, Leticia Plancarte-Garcia, assistant director of county Behavioral Health Services, stated in the application for the ACSA recognition.
Similarly, Renato Montaño, Imperial County Office of Education deputy superintendent, stated that the district’s successes in student achievement and behavior are largely owed to Lau’s well designed, well structured, supported and sustainable systems.
The ACSA recognition is for Region 18, which includes 48 school districts in the San Diego and Imperial counties. ACSA is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the United States, serving over 17,000 educators in 19 regions across California.
The ACSA Region 18 also recognized Brawley Union High School District Superintendent Simon Canalez as the Career Technical Education Administrator of the Year, the district announced.