School Board Appoints New Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Student Support Officer

• Additional Appointments Include Supervisor of Special Education
• Assistant Division Counsel

The School Board appointed Dr. Julie Crawford as the new Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Student Support Officer. Dr. Crawford currently serves as the Director of Student Health and Wellness for Prince William County Schools.

Dr. Crawford is a lifelong educator who began her teaching career in the Syracuse, New York area prior to moving to Northern Virginia. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo and a master’s degree from Syracuse University. She received her doctoral degree from the George Washington University.

Dr. Crawford served as a teacher at Swanson Middle School, an assistant principal at Drew and Claremont Immersion Elementary Schools, director of special education and interim assistant superintendent in APS. She joined Alexandria City Public Schools as the principal of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center before becoming the Chief of Student Services and Equity for over seven years.

The Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Student Support Officer is a new role combining the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer and Student Support to create a new, expanded Cabinet-level position to oversee Diversity Equity and Inclusion as well as Student Support. This allows APS to better support student mental health, address student behaviors and support diversity equity and inclusion within one office.

Her appointment begins July 5.

Additional Appointments
The School Board also made the following appointments.

• Kenneth Brown has been appointed as Supervisor of Special Education effective July 1. Dr. Brown is a high school assistant principal at a career and technical education (CTE) campus in Washington, DC. He is responsible for Climate and Culture, student grades, and supporting English and CTE teachers. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Brown is an educator whose calling is to ensure instruction challenges all students; with a primary focus on exceptional learners with varying abilities while also paying specific attention to students with emotional and behavioral needs. A major focus of his advocacy centers around students of color, particularly African American and Latin males, who tend to be overrepresented in special education classrooms. Working for DC public schools, Dr. Brown moved from manager specialized instruction to assistant principal, focusing on special education then branching out to other areas.
• Emily Haslebacher has been appointed as Assistant Division Counsel (Special Education) effective Aug. 1. Haslebacher is an associate attorney in the Education Law and Litigation Practice Group at Blankenship & Keith, P.C., in Fairfax, VA. Prior to joining Blankenship & Keith, she represented parents of children with disabilities across the Commonwealth in a variety of special education and school disciplinary matters. Haslebacher dedicates her practice to representing local school districts in special education litigation arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Haslebacher received her B.A. in Government and International Politics from George Mason University and received her J.D. from William & Mary Law School. While in law school, she served as a student attorney and research assistant for the William & Mary PELE Special Education Advocacy Clinic, representing low income students with disabilities in special education matters.