This presentation will look at the program model for Spokane Public School’s McKinney-Vento program with a focus on the Homeless Community Specialist position. Presenters will share information about the district and student profile, structure of the McKinney-Vento program including positions and funding, and intervention strategies used to support the needs of students experiencing homelessness using the MTSS framework. Participants will have time to evaluate their own programs and reflect on how the Homeless Community Specialist position may be implemented in their district.
Jamie has spent the last ten years professionally working for family and youth serving agencies across Washington providing support to underrepresented communities in our state. Jamie currently works for Spokane Public School’s Homeless Education and Resource Team which aims to reduce barriers for young people experiencing homelessness in the educational system.
Sarah Miller has served as the McKinney-Vento Liaison for Spokane Public Schools for 12 years. She received her MSW from Eastern Washington University in 2004. During her time as the McKinney-Vento program she has worked to increase the level of funding and staffing from two full time positions to six full time positions. She has also implemented policies, procedures, and practices that have improved the educational outcomes of students. The on-time four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate for SPS McKinney-Vento students in 2022 was 81.2%, over 20% higher than the state rate of 60.9%.
Lynne has supervised the McKinney-Vento program in Spokane Public Schools for the last five years. She has a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction, BA in Special Education and Elementary Education, and is finishing her admin certification through Eastern Washington University. She is currently the Title I and Learning Assistance Program Coordinator for all secondary schools in Spokane Public Schools supporting our highest poverty impacted schools and students. Over her twenty-nine years in education, she has worked as a special education teacher, classroom teacher, instructional coach, Coordinator of Special Programs, and an instructor for Boise State University and the University of Idaho on topics related to supporting instruction, inclusion, and best practices for special populations.
Curt has worked as a social worker in areas as varied as medical social work; pre-K to graduate level education, mental health, and child welfare for over 30 years. He has worked directly for the McKinney-Vento program in Spokane Public Schools for five years and collaborated closely with the program as a school social worker.