Yesterday the Alexa Posny, the assistant secretary for the federal Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, announced that Ms. Melody Musgrove had been named the Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
What does OSEP do?
In a nutshell, OSEP administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA). You can find more about OSEP here.
Who is Ms. Musgrove?
Formerly, Ms. Musgrove was the State Director of Special Education in Mississippi, a due process hearing officer, an Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Federal Programs for the Lawrence County School District, an Assistant Principal, and a special education teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Melody has been noted for her work to reduce the achievement gap for traditionally under-performing students, conducted statewide self-assessments, and designed and implemented a focused system of monitoring local districts. You can find Ms. Musgrove's LinkedIn profile here.
I've personally heard good things about her from several attorneys in Mississippi. Let's hope she is able to live up to her reputation.
Office of Special Education Programs Has New Director