The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) held its annual Recognition of Excellence in Supporting Special Education Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, June 5, at Rock Ridge High School. The awards ceremony recognized educators, students, parents and community members who demonstrated excellence in the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) special education community. These individuals and groups were identified as having gone above and beyond what is expected to be meaningfully inclusive.
SEAC Chair Liz Crotty opened the event, saying, “Everyone who is honored tonight has impacted someone so significantly that they were compelled to share these inspiring actions. I know these snippets we will share tonight will leave you inspired and filled with joy.”
The event opened with a musical presentation by The Pathfinders from A Place to Be, who shared a song with the refrain, “I’m not a label, I’m me.”
Superintendent Aaron Spence commended SEAC for their commitment and for their advocacy. Spence, who has six children, said, “I have three things that I want for my own children: I want them to be cared for and to be physically and emotionally safe. I want them to learn something every day and to be challenged. And I want to make sure they are loved and that they are surrounded by adults who care about them. What I want for my own children, I want that for every child and tonight is a celebration of that. The categories of the awards to be given out tonight reflect the diversity and depth of the contributions that are made by everyone in this room.”
Tedra Richardson, assistant superintendent, applauded the award recipients, saying, “Your accomplishments are remarkable, and they remind us all that, with determination and support of one another, there are no limits to what we can achieve. You have shown us that abilities, not disabilities, define who we are and what we can accomplish.”
Crotty introduced the winners. Dr. Spence, along with School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) and School Board members Deana Griffiths (Ashburn), Dr. Sumera Rashid (Little River) and Lauren Shernoff (Leesburg), congratulated each recipient on their award. The names of all 2024 award winners can be found on the LCPS SEAC webpage.
Published June 25, 2024