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Floor Speech

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Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I support the nomination of Glenna Wright-Gallo to be Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of Education. Ms. Wright- Gallo has more than 25 years of public education experience supporting students with disabilities and 16 years of experience as a policy leader in State special education programs. She is currently a guest instructor at the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, NV. Before that, she served as the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction-- OSPI--in Washington State. During her tenure, she successfully secured an additional $155 million for state special education programs, $37 million for improvement of statewide inclusionary practices, $12 million for paraeducator training, and $60,000 to reduce the use of restraint and seclusion.

Prior to her position at OSPI, Ms. Gallo spent 7 years as the State director of special education for the Utah State Board of Education. She has also twice served as the president of the National Association of State Directors of Education.

Earlier this year, the Committee on Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, which I chair, reported her out of committee by a bipartisan vote. Ms. Wright-Gallo is a strong, dedicated advocate for special education services and supports and understands the unique challenges that children and youth with disabilities face. She will make an excellent Assistant Secretary, and I urge my colleagues to support her nomination.

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