Special to 1812Blockhouse
The Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is thrilled to announce it has been awarded the Speech-Language Pathology & School Psychology Consultant Grant for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This grant will significantly bolster support for districts across central Ohio, enhancing the quality and compliance of speech-language and school psychology services.
Johanna Gilland, a seasoned Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), has been selected as the Mid-Ohio ESC Speech-Language Pathology Consultant. Johanna brings a wealth of knowledge and dedication to her role, where she will focus on improving evaluation and identification processes to address significant disproportionality in special education.
Additionally, MOESC has contracted four part-time School Psychologists to serve as consultants. These professionals, who are currently full-time in various Mid-Ohio districts, include Jessica Eisenman (Hillsdale Local Schools), Santana Koebele (Mount Gilead Schools), Julia Pilla (Lexington Local Schools) and Kylie Dennison-Rebon (Bucyrus City Schools). They will cover a broad region, including Ashland, Coshocton, Crawford, Fairfield, Franklin, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Morrow, Muskingum, Richland, Wyandot, Wayne, Marion, Union, Delaware, Perry and Pickaway counties.
The consultants are committed to addressing the challenges identified by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), such as the overuse of the speech-language impairment category and the lack of support for effective evaluation and identification practices. Their objectives include supporting districts with compliance analyses, providing professional development and assisting with corrective action plans.
One of the primary aims of this initiative is to address the critical shortage of qualified professionals in rural areas, particularly for Speech-Language Pathologists and School Psychologists. This grant enables Mid-Ohio ESC to expand its “Grow Your Own” Development Programs, starting with the High School Mentorship program. The goal is to prepare and mentor highly qualified candidates ready for certification in these fields.
Through this collaborative effort, Mid-Ohio is poised to make a substantial impact on the educational landscape, ensuring that students receive the necessary support and services to thrive.
Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center provides specialized academic and support services to 13 school districts and over 20,000 students in Crawford, Morrow and Richland Counties. Client districts receive services from curriculum, gifted and special education consultants, speech pathologists, psychologists, special education teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists.
Source, Photo: MOESC
