about shari
Shari Washburn is a special education consultant with an extensive history of supporting children with disabilities. While pursuing a Master of Arts in Special Education at American University, she studied under Sally L. Smith, Lab School founder and preeminent educator in the field of learning differences. After graduating, she worked in a variety of special education settings: private school for students with learning disabilities, mild/moderate Special Day Class, push-in/pull-out Resource Specialist Programs, and full inclusion co-taught classrooms.
photo by: Barbara Butkus
In a later role as Manager of Educational Programming at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (now Learning Ally), Shari drew from practical experience to design training programs and supporting materials for students and teachers in the areas of Disability Awareness, Program Accommodations and Modifications, and Differentiated Instruction. She went on to work with the Grow Network on mapping statewide content standards, which became the building blocks for the Common Core. Eventually, she became a founding parent at an independent school in the Bay Area. She is trained in the educational rights of children with disabilities by the Community Alliance for Special Education (CASE).
What makes Shari different?
Shari has a diverse teaching background. Her experience working with a variety of age groups in special day classes, general education, and co-teaching classrooms gives her insight into the challenges and opportunities that students with disabilities encounter. Because she speaks the language of special education, she can competently communicate with service providers and other school personnel. She has written and executed hundreds of IEP goals, has practical experience with structured literacy reading programs, and has designed and implemented Behavioral Intervention Plans. The emphasis on task analysis in her educational background allows her to identify all of the foundational competencies required to achieve mastery of a skill. Her hands-on experience conducting special education eligibility testing and measuring IEP goal progress informs her understanding of how data provides insight into a child’s unique needs.
Each year, Shari visits both local and out-of-state special education schools to better understand what they have to offer, their programmatic strengths, and who their current population is. She has strong relationships with program administrators, enabling her to keep up to date on enrollment and staffing. As a result, she is a strong source for referrals with a proven track record of successful placements.
Shari is a member of Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and International Dyslexia Association (IDA).
When not working, Shari can usually be found on a hike, drinking iced coffee, or saying hi to all of the dogs (or all three).
“As someone who regularly serves as a district representative in IEP meetings and who encounters many advocates, I can honestly say that I look forward to getting to collaborate with Shari as she enters the IEP meeting with a true understanding of the myriad of unique issues facing a given case. Shari’s experience teaching and working in special education is clear from the get-go—something unique to her work, and no doubt immensely useful in keeping our interactions solution-focused. At the root of her advocacy, Shari seeks whatever outcome is truly best for the student and helps to advocate with myself as a district representative but also with the parent to get everyone on board with a plan for the IEP. I would highly recommend Shari for any education-related advocacy needs.”