Newsletter
Volume 31 | 2008 | Number 3
Interview with Ann Poppenga: Practicing Behavior Analyst Elected to Town School Board
By Dr. Michael Dorsey
Ann Poppenga is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and 2003 graduate of the Simmons College program in Behavior Analysis. Ann has worked on the “south shore” of Boston for the past several years as a consultant to several local school districts, providing in-home direct ABA educational services to young children diagnosed with Autism, as well as serving as a Mentor for many students preparing to sit for the BCBA exam. Ann has become quite interested in local politics, serving as a “Town Meeting” member in her home town of Holbrook, Massachusetts. When the opportunity presented itself to move into an opening on the local School Board, she took the step to apply for the position. Below is an interview with Ann regarding this process and her hopes for the future of Special Education in her home town:
I decided to get involved with the school committee when a vacancy opened up due to a resignation. I felt compelled to get involved at this level as I believe my experience consulting to special education classrooms around the state would be valuable to a committee of officials charged with making fiscal decisions regarding the local schools. Specifically, I saw how my time on town meeting was useful in helping the town to understand the importance of creating quality in district special education programs. I spoke as a town meeting member in support of building an annex to the existing elementary school to house an intensive needs preschool classroom. Since that time this program has grown to 3 intensive needs classrooms and will be creating a new integrated kindergarten program next year. I would estimate at least 15-20 students are now in district at 3 years old as opposed to being serviced out of district and incurring more costs to the town. The biggest hurdle I see Holbrook facing (and other towns) is a deficit of revenues in business tax revenue (Holbrook is a very small town) that forces towns to rely on home owners to fund educational mandates namely FAPE. No one disagrees that students deserve access to FAPE, the problem is when towns don't create quality programs in district...the costs are higher and other areas of local education are cut (sports, clubs, transportation, buildings, safety) the list can go on and on.
I guess what my hope is that I can take the skills I have learned as a behavioral consultant, helping schools provide cost effective and educationally effective programs to keep students in district and realize the cost savings that can bring to a cash-strapped educational system
Ann can be contacted at:
Ann Poppenga, M.S.Ed., BCBA
PO Box 256
Holbrook, MA 02343
781-964-6366