Superintendent Selects New Executive Director of Specialized Instruction

PHOTO: Theresa A. Werner is the new executive director of Specialized Instruction for Alexandria City Public Schools; photo courtesy of ACPS

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Superintendent Alvin L. Crawley has selected Theresa A. Werner to be the executive director of Specialized Instruction for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), starting this week, ACPS announced Wednesday in a news release.

Werner was most recently an associate professor at George Mason University where she taught a variety of special education classes in the College of Education and Human Development.

“Ms. Werner brings outstanding skills and exceptional experience to ACPS, which will truly benefit our families and students,” said Crawley. “Her extensive knowledge of special education law is particularly valuable and will be an asset to our teachers and staff who work with students with special needs.”

From 2011-2014, Werner served as the director of outreach programs at the University of Washington’s College of Education in Seattle. She also held a similar position at George Mason University from 2004 to 2011 where she was a special education outreach coordinator responsible for developing and managing a wide variety of teacher training partnerships programs with school systems throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Additionally, she designed a new master’s degree program and managed outreach partnerships with public schools, state programs and private agencies.

She also served as the director of special education and student services for Falls Church City Public Schools from 1996 to 2004. She was responsible for developing and implementing system-wide special education and student service programs, policies and procedures as well as supervising all related instructional staff.

Werner holds a law degree from the Catholic University of America School of Law, a Master in Education degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education from Louisiana State University.