The Council of Administrators of Special Education has name Liberty County educator Dr. Jan La Boone outstanding special education administrator of the year for the entire United States.
The honor has been a long time in the making. La Boone began her career as a speech-language pathologist for Wayne County where she served for 13 years beginning in 1981. From 1994-2000, she worked for Long County Schools as special education director and assistant superintendent. Since 2000, she has been the director of Coastal Area Georgia Learning Resource Systems based in Hinesville.
Throughout her career as an administrator, facilitator, training program designer and nationally recognized speaker, La Boone has implemented numerous projects that have had a dramatic impact on increasing the achievements of students with disabilities, at-risk students and struggling general-education students.
The award is given each year to one person who has made outstanding contributions to professional leadership and field practice programs that make big differences in the lives of students with disabilities. Nominees must have at least 10 years experience in the field and be recognized by their peers for creating and implementing programs that enable students to overcome obstacles to achievement.
At the award presentation, La Boone was described as one of the nation’s most concerned, enthusiastic and dedicated educational leaders for students with disabilities. Her peers praised her immense knowledge of special education and her great compassion for the students she has dedicated her life to helping.
It has been quite an exciting year for La Boone. Last November she was named top special education administrator in the state by the Georgia affiliate of CASE and in February, she received the President’s Service Award from the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders.
She was unable to attend the CASE award ceremony in Boston because she was in Ireland on her honeymoon at the time.
“I am deeply honored and sincerely humbled by this award,” La Boone said. “I am truly thankful that I’ve been given the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of students with disabilities, their parents and their teachers.
“Every student has the right to achieve at his or her maximum potential because every human being has something valuable to give to the world,” she continued. “We are the human family and we cannot afford to waste any human potential.”
The honor has been a long time in the making. La Boone began her career as a speech-language pathologist for Wayne County where she served for 13 years beginning in 1981. From 1994-2000, she worked for Long County Schools as special education director and assistant superintendent. Since 2000, she has been the director of Coastal Area Georgia Learning Resource Systems based in Hinesville.
Throughout her career as an administrator, facilitator, training program designer and nationally recognized speaker, La Boone has implemented numerous projects that have had a dramatic impact on increasing the achievements of students with disabilities, at-risk students and struggling general-education students.
The award is given each year to one person who has made outstanding contributions to professional leadership and field practice programs that make big differences in the lives of students with disabilities. Nominees must have at least 10 years experience in the field and be recognized by their peers for creating and implementing programs that enable students to overcome obstacles to achievement.
At the award presentation, La Boone was described as one of the nation’s most concerned, enthusiastic and dedicated educational leaders for students with disabilities. Her peers praised her immense knowledge of special education and her great compassion for the students she has dedicated her life to helping.
It has been quite an exciting year for La Boone. Last November she was named top special education administrator in the state by the Georgia affiliate of CASE and in February, she received the President’s Service Award from the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders.
She was unable to attend the CASE award ceremony in Boston because she was in Ireland on her honeymoon at the time.
“I am deeply honored and sincerely humbled by this award,” La Boone said. “I am truly thankful that I’ve been given the opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of students with disabilities, their parents and their teachers.
“Every student has the right to achieve at his or her maximum potential because every human being has something valuable to give to the world,” she continued. “We are the human family and we cannot afford to waste any human potential.”