Who We Are
Who We Are
The Department of Early Intervention and Special Education Services (DEI/SES) is committed to building and sustaining an integrated organizational structure that is based upon the principles of collaboration and shared responsibility. The Division is organized by five branches: Policy and Accountability, Performance Support and Technical Assistance, Interagency Collaboration, Resource Management, and Family Support and Dispute Resolution.
Office of the State Superintendent
Assistant State Superintendent
Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services
Marcella E. Franczkowski, M.S.
Marcella Franczkowski, M.S. — Assistant State Superintendent of the Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services — is responsible for the general oversight, supervision and coordination of a comprehensive and seamless system that strives to improve developmental and academic achievement results for Maryland’s infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities birth through 21 and their families. The scope of her leadership extends across State, local, and private sector levels to agencies providing developmental, educational, and related services to infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, and their families. Her professional career in public service as an administrator and educator spans more than three decades, during which she has worked in a wide range of programs as a diagnostic and prescriptive teacher, inclusion teacher and individualized educational program chairperson at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In addition, she has held multiple early childhood and special education school-based and central office administrative positions in the Baltimore County Schools, including the Office of Nonpublic Placements and Early Childhood Special Education.
Policy and Accountability
Section Chief of Policy and Data
Director of Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program
Pam Miller, Ed.D.
Pam Miller, Ed. D. — Section Chief of Policy and Data and Director, Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program — oversees all activities of the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program and provides technical assistance and performance support as the Birth to Kindergarten liaison for Region 1. She also supervises and directs the work of the Division’s Birth – 21 data specialists. Pam received her Doctorate of Education in 2002, and has spent her entire career improving access, participation, and support for children and adults with disabilities and their families in homes, classrooms, and the community. As the parent of a young adult with disabilities, Pam knows the power of early intervention, specially-designed instruction, and family partnerships to change lives.
Branch Chief of Policy and Accountability
Brian Morrison, Ph.D.
Brian Matthew Morrison, Ph.D. — Branch Chief of Policy and Accountability — is responsible for the management of two DEI/SES Sections: Policy and Data and Monitoring and Accountability. In this role, he is responsible for the State data systems, including Maryland’s Online IEP and Online IFSP, and ensures that federally required data and report submissions are completed and submitted in a timely and accurate manner. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. His experience includes early intervention service coordination, supervision, and monitoring for accountability. He also served as the Statewide Director of the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program where he was responsible for general supervision to 24 local Infants and Toddlers Programs
Performance Support and Technical Assistance
Section Chief of Early Childhood Intervention
Janette Guerra
Janette Guerra — Section Chief of Early Childhood Intervention — provides performance support and technical assistance to local Birth to Kindergarten (Infants and Toddlers, Preschool Special Education) programs in accordance with the Differentiated Framework to improve early childhood and family outcomes. She also oversees Maryland’s Preschool Special Education System as the State 619 Coordinator. She has a Master’s in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education and has worked in the field of early childhood care and education for over 30 years. She has extensive experience in IDEA Part C and Part B 619 services, as well as child care, preschool, home visiting, and infant mental health programs as a direct service provider, program administrator, and in professional development roles in various States and overseas for the U.S. military community.
Section Chief of Specialized Instruction (SDI)
Annie Wheeler
Annie Wheeler — Section Chief of Specially Designed Instruction — provides performance support and technical assistance to local school systems and public agencies focused on the collaborative development, implementation and evaluation of specially designed instruction with an Integrated Tiered System of Supports to accelerate the progress of students with disabilities. She received her undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Salisbury University. Prior to joining the Division of Early Intervention and Special Education services, Annie taught students with disabilities for five years in Cambridge, Maryland and spent two years as a Birth-21 instructional coach and compliance specialist. She currently volunteers with the Junior League of Baltimore which has strengthened her commitment to Maryland by pairing the important work she does with the Division with direct service to the community.
Interagency Collaboration
Branch Chief of Interagency Collaboration
Carmen Amyot Brown, LCSW-C
Carmen Amyot Brown, LCSW-C — Branch Chief of Interagency Collaboration — is responsible for the management of interagency collaborative initiatives; serves as the liaison between organizations regarding services for students with special needs and their families; and provides oversight for Statewide out-of-home care rate-setting, behavioral and mental health support, the Maryland Autism Waiver, and Medicaid monitoring for the delivery of health related services. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and is a practicing LCSW-C in Maryland. Her experience in the field includes direct clinical work in treatment foster care, clinical oversight and supervision in a non-public separate day school, service as a Chief Operating Officer of Clinical Services for a large multi-service residential, foster care and outpatient service agency, and as a Senior Vice President overseeing operations of Type I and Type III education programs, residential services, treatment foster care, crisis stabilization, and emergency respite services. She also served the State of Maryland as the Executive Director for the Office of Licensing and Monitoring at the Department of Human Services where she provided oversight and direction to all clinical and operational activities for the licensing and monitoring of over 350 licensed private child serving providers throughout the State.
Section Chief of Autism Waiver and Health Related Services
Tiffany Hiob, LCPC
Dr. Tiffany Noël Hiob, LCPC — Section Chief of Autism Waiver and Health Related Services — promotes the Division’s interdepartmental and interagency collaboration with key stakeholders of the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the School-Based Medicaid Program to support enhanced service delivery, compliance, revenue, and quality assurance for Medicaid providers. Prior to serving the Division in this role, she served as the Autism Waiver Provider Liaison and in multiple roles supporting children and their families as a provider for the Autism Waiver, a clinical specialist in residential treatment, and through project management and Medicaid billing. Her experience is enhanced by her training as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Clinical Supervisor, and by her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership.
Section Chief of Interagency Initiatives
Karen Powell, MS, LCSW
Karen Powell, MS, LCSW — Section Chief of Interagency Initiatives — leads the Statewide Interagency Rates Committee focused on placement of youth requiring out-of-home care. In addition to earning her MSW, she completed graduate studies in psychology with over 28 years of clinical and administrative experiences working with children and families. Before joining the MSDE, she was appointed as the Associate Director of the National Center for Evidenced Based Practices in Child Welfare at the University of Maryland School of Social Work (SSW) where she provided training and technical assistance to States implementing evidenced based mental health services within their child welfare service continuums. Prior to her role at the SSW, she served as Program Manager for Training and Organizational Development at the Social Services Administration with the Maryland Department of Human Services where she oversaw Statewide child welfare training initiatives, federal demonstration projects and quality assurance.
Resource Management and Monitoring
Section Chief of Nonpublic Special Education
Sheila Phillip, JD
Sheila F. Philip, JD — Section Chief of Nonpublic Special Education — is responsible for the oversight, supervision, and direction of the Nonpublic Tuition Assistance Program (NTAP) for the local school systems (LSSs) and the nonpublic special education schools. She also provides management of Public Private Partnerships, special education technical assistance, service coordination, collaborative problem solving, and accountability to all stakeholders, LSSs, State agencies, and nonpublic special education schools. She holds a Juris Doctor form the University of Baltimore, School of Law; a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance; and has extensive experience in the cost approval of child serving entities through serving as the Section Chief for Interagency initiatives and Rates at MSDE. Prior to joining MSDE, she served in various leadership positions in the human services arena, with organizations including Maryland Choices, an organization responsible for implementing Wraparound, a service delivery model that provides a comprehensive, holistic, youth and family-driven way of responding when children or youth experience serious mental health or behavioral challenges, as well as a behavioral health agency and the Local Management Boards of Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties.
Branch Chief of Resource Management and Monitoring
Gary Richardson
Gary Richardson — Branch Chief of Resource Management and Monitoring — is responsible for providing management and oversight of federal and State allocations and budgets for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B 611, IDEA Part B 619 Preschool, IDEA Part C Infants and Toddlers, and State funds for students with disabilities, birth through 21 years of age; including the development and administration of the Consolidated Local Implementation Grant and Local Application for Federal Funds. Mr. Richardson also oversees the Nonpublic Tuition Assistance Program. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Drexel University’s Lebow College of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Management from East Stroudsburg University, with extensive experience in education finance, including positions as Business Liaison with Baltimore City Public Schools, Director of Fiscal Accountability at District of Columbia Public Schools, and Chief Financial Officer at Friends Meeting School.
Special Initiatives
Chief for Secondary Transition
Christy Stuart, Ed.D.
Christy H. Stuart, Ed.D. — Chief of Secondary Transition — provides consultative services and technical assistance to all Local School Systems in Maryland and the Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services in the area of student transition planning and secondary transition service delivery. This position also supports any statewide initiative that leads to the continuous improvement of services as specified in our federally reported secondary transition indicators. In addition, through her leadership, evidence-based transition programs and services are implemented to increase the number of youth with disabilities who are actively engaged in post-secondary activities such as education, technical and career training, and employment after exiting schools.
Family Support and Dispute Resolution
Section Chief of Family Support
Ken Hudock.
Ken Huddock — Section Chief of Family Support — ensures the development and implementation of
professional development and technical assistance for the Statewide family support network staff. He
provides assistance to internal and external customers regarding the informal early dispute resolution
process. With over 20 years’ experience in education including his current role at MSDE, he has served
as a special education teacher, IEP chair, assistant principal, and principal at the elementary, middle and
high school levels.
Section Chief of Complaint Investigation Services
Anita Mandis
Anita Mandis — Section Chief of Complaint Investigation Services — is responsible for investigating and
resolving complaints filed with the Department to enforce federal and State special education laws. She is
an attorney licensed in Maryland with 20 year of special education compliance experience, as well as federal
monitoring experience, and juvenile and family law practice experience.
Chief for Secondary Transition
Christy Stuart, Ed.D.
Christy H. Stuart, Ed.D. — Chief of Secondary Transition — provides consultative services and technical assistance to all Local School Systems in Maryland and the Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services in the area of student transition planning and secondary transition service delivery. This position also supports any statewide initiative that leads to the continuous improvement of services as specified in our federally reported secondary transition indicators. In addition, through her leadership, evidence-based transition programs and services are implemented to increase the number of youth with disabilities who are actively engaged in post-secondary activities such as education, technical and career training, and employment after exiting schools.