Nancy E. Bailey

As a longtime special education teacher, I have worked with children with autism and developmental disabilities, twice exceptional and gifted students, and children with reading disabilities. I advocate for play and recess. Children with disabilities have the best chance of socializing with their peer group when they are given the opportunity to play together.

I was a principal and Title I grant manager in a state school program for teens with disabilities, and the recipient of a Council for Exceptional Children, Division of learning Disabilities, Innovation Grant to combine career education with high school remedial reading. I was the president of the parent organization at my child’s middle school, and an advocate for safe school buildings. I spoke about school building safety at the 2012 Earthquake and Engineering Research Institute annual meeting and have been published in Education Week and Phi Delta Kappan.

My passion is writing about and supporting public schools that open their doors to all students, especially those with disabilities. Every child deserves a quality education where they are made to feel confident about who they are and how they will fit in a satisfying career that they enjoy.