Leaders for Iowa's new Division of Special Education named

(The Center Square) - The Iowa Department of Education appointed a familiar face to lead its newly restored Division of Special Education.

Dr. Barbara Guy, who served as Director of Special Education and Bureau Chief of Student and Family Special Education Service, was named Division Administrator of State Accountability and Student Supports, the BOE said in a news release Thursday.

Gov. Kim Reynolds pushed for changes in how the state delivered special education services. House File 2612 shifted oversight from Area Education Agencies, known as AEAs, to the Division of Special Education. Many education leaders and parents opposed the bill. Reynolds said AEAs worked for some students and schools, but some schools were forced to pay for the services and didn't use them.

"And many schools, urban and rural, large and small, have raised concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the cost of AEA services," Reynolds said when signing the bill. "So, these issues have persisted for many years and the data shows the impact Iowa students with disabilities have consistently performed below the national average for 20 years.”

Seven former AEA leaders were given positions in the new division, according to the DOE.

Dr. Angelisa Fynaardt was named Acting Division Administrator of Regional Continuous Improvement and Compliance and Great Prairie Regional Special Education Director. She previously served as the special education director at the Great Prairie AEA. Amy Thoms-Starr, the previous administrator at Central Rivers AEA, will serve as the Central Rivers Regional Special Education Director. Ivan Gentry was named the Green Hills Regional Special Education Director. For the past three years, he has been the special education director at Green Hills AEA.Lisa Glenn, previous Heartland AEA special education consultant, will serve as the Grant Wood Regional Special Education Director.Molly Elston, former regional administrator at the Prairie Lakes AEA, was named Prairie Lakes Regional Special Education Director. Northwest AEA's former special education director, Seth Piro, will take on the same position with the Division of Special Education.

The DOE will hire three additional regional special education directors, according to the news release.

"Each member of the Division’s distinguished executive team is a proven special education leader committed to strengthening our system to best serve Iowa’s more than 75,000 infants, toddlers, and students with disabilities and their families,” said McKenzie Snow, director of the Iowa Department of Education.