Laurie VanderPloeg
Last fall, Michigan educator Laurie VanderPloeg was appointed to lead the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. She brings nearly 40 years of experience to the position, including many years in the classroom as a teacher of students with disabilities. The past president of the Council for Exceptional Children, she also served for 11 years as a member of the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) on that organization’s policy and legislative committee and as a member of the Michigan State Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC).
In addition to her professional experience, VanderPloeg is the mother of a son with disabilities, bringing a unique understanding of the obstacles that families of children with disabilities face.
