A message from the Superintendent

March 12, 2013

Dear Seattle Public Schools community:

Today I am pleased to announce we have hired Zakiyyah McWilliams to serve as our Executive Director of Special Education.
 
Ms. McWilliams brings to Seattle more than 30 years of experience in education, with a strong emphasis on students with special needs. In her role, she will oversee all aspects of our Special Education department and will communicate and collaborate with families, staff and administrative staff.

Ms. McWilliams comes to us from the Compton Unified School District, where she started in 2007 as Special Education Program Administrator and since 2011, has been the Administrator of the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Support and Compliance. She is currently Compton’s lead for disproportionality and focused on developing a district-wide plan to reduce the over-representation of students in Special Education.

She started her career as a special education teacher, then served as principal in the Pasadena Unified School District and as a consultant in the Division for School Improvement with the Los Angeles County Office of Education. She also has experience as a part-time instructor for California State University, where she taught a course called “Special Education Mainstreaming & Diversity/Multiracial.”

Ms. McWilliams plans to start at Seattle Public Schools in mid-May. She was part of a national search that resulted in six candidates. A hiring committee consisted of representatives from the administration, teachers, family members, Seattle Schools Advisory & Advocacy Council (SEAAC) and the Seattle Alliance of Black Educators.

Ms. McWilliams has a strong reputation for collaborative communication with district staff and community stakeholders. She strongly believes all students can learn and become productive contributors to the 21st century. Ms. McWilliams plans to continue existing partnerships with the Curriculum and Instruction department around coordinated professional development in core content areas and using data to inform and plan instructional focus. She also is committed to supporting ongoing efforts to increase the graduation rate for students with disabilities and continuing advocacy and support efforts for Seattle students with disabilities and their families.
 
I want to thank the staff and families who were a part of the hiring committee, and also offer my thanks to Stacey McCrath-Smith, our Director of Special Education, and the rest of the Special Education department for their work during the past year. I look forward to seeing the great work this team will accomplish, working together with our community on behalf of our students.

Again, a warm welcome to Zakiyyah. We look forward to her arrival in Seattle.

Sincerely,



José Banda
Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

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