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Each breakout time period conference participants will have the option to attend an informal networking Q&A session facilitated by a national Check & Connect trainer. Come with your questions and be ready to share and listen from the group how implementation works at different settings:
Presented by Check & Connect National Trainers • Networking Track
Eileen Klemm, M.A., is the program manager for Check & Connect, as well as a national trainer. Her education and early career background is in
school-based speech-language pathology. Currently, she provides leadership and support in the overall
development and training on Check & Connect. Ms. Klemm provides training nationally on
Check & Connect, including implementation training and mentor training for schools and sites that want
to implement Check & Connect. She also provides follow-up training in the form of a reflect/renew workshops for sites already implementing Check & Connect. She assesses the needs of sites and
customizes training to meet those needs. Prior to her work ICI, Ms. Klemm provided statewide training on the implementation of federal
regulations and Minnesota rules and statutes regarding special education services for children birth
through age 21 for the Minnesota Department of Education. She also worked as a peer leader
with both special education and general education staff ranging from early childhood providers to
high school teachers and parent educators. In this capacity, she provided job-embedded professional
development, including cognitive coaching for reflective practice, preceding and following staff observations. Ms. Klemm is presently pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational leadership, policy, and development with an emphasis in evaluation studies at the University of Minnesota. See blog post, New Leadership for Check & Connect: Letter from Eileen Klemm
Joseph Angaran, M.A., is a program specialist and national trainer for Check & Connect at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), University of Minnesota. Mr. Angaran provides training nationally on the implementation of Check & Connect for schools and community-based organizations. He also provides follow-up training in the form of fidelity of implementation workshops for sites already implementing Check & Connect. As a national trainer, he assesses the needs of sites and customizes training to meet those needs. Prior to his work at ICI, Mr. Angaran began his teaching career in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan (MN) public schools as an elementary teacher. Most recently, he worked as a Peer Leader with both special education and general education staff ranging from early childhood to high school. Trained in Cognitive Coaching℠, Mr. Angaran conducted observations and conversations with educators about their practices and worked to build the capacity of all to be self-directed and reflective. Mr. Angaran's undergraduate degree is from the University of Northern Iowa in Elementary Education. His graduate degree is from the University of St. Thomas in Educational Leadership and Administration. In addition, he currently holds an administrative license in Minnesota.
Jana Hallas, M.Ed., is a project coordinator for the Institute on Community Integration, Universityof Minnesota where she provides training and technical assistance to districts on Check & Connect around the country. Prior to working at the University, Ms. Hallas taught special education for ten years in Cy-Fair ISD in Houston, Texas. She trained district personnel on creating meaningful, Standards-Based goals and objectives to ensure student success throughout high school and into post-secondary life. Additionally, she created and conducted annual school-wide training on collecting data on student progress on academic and behavioral IEPs, facilitated data collection for each grading term, and provided technical assistance and support for individual teachers when needed. Ms. Hallas assisted personnel in implementing IEP programming in the general and special education classrooms as well as served as a facilitator in parent/teacher communication to ensure the needs of students were met for all students with disabilities throughout the campus. Ms. Hallas has a Master's Degree in Education with an emphasis in Low Incidence Disabilities from Texas A&M University. Her undergraduate degree was completed at Coe College, where she double-majored in secondary education and history.
Ann Romine is a program specialist and national trainer for Check & Connect at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), University of Minnesota. Ms. Romine provides training nationally on the implementation of Check & Connect for schools and community-based organizations. She also provides mentor training and follow-up training around fidelity and implementation for sites already implementing Check & Connect. As a national trainer, she assesses the needs of sites and customizes training to meet those needs. She is driven to build connections for students and families across schools and communities. Before working at ICI, Ms. Romine served as a program specialist and national trainer for an evidence-based family engagement program, Families and Schools Together (FAST). She has trained collaborative teams of teachers, parents and community-based professionals for more than a decade. Ms. Romine has worked extensively throughout the School District of Philadelphia implementing and developing FAST to scale. She attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison and received her Bachelor of Science in Human Development & Family Studies and Elementary Education.
