Guide to Understanding Informational & Formal Processes for Resolving IEP Dispute 

Ms. Christina Ryan

Ryan is 20-year education teacher and district leader who previously served as director of special education programming for Andover Public Schools. Ryan said she grew up wanting to be a teacher and said "Inclusion has always been really important to me." She has developed specializations in special education regulations and procedures, and has applied those learnings to create influential programs in lesson planning, curriculum implementation, instructional practice and inclusion strategies.  

Mr. Derrick Munyon

In Mr. Munyon’s 14-year career within public education, he has honed his skills in creating tailored special education programs that cater to the unique needs of students with complex learning profiles. As a BCBA, he deeply understands behavioral analysis and intervention strategies, which have been invaluable in designing effective student support systems. Since 2015, he has served as a Program Director for Lynnfield Public Schools. Mr. Munyon has leveraged his behavioral background to drive positive change within the district's special education programs. In this role, he has applied his expertise as a BCBA and embraced the challenges of special education administration, further expanding his skill set and knowledge base. 

Ms. Marla De La Cruz

Ms. De La Cruz is a passionate instructional leader with a sincere drive to improve teaching and learning for all students, especially those from underserved and underrepresented communities. Her expertise is a result of over twenty years of experience within education spaces as a school educator, building leader, and district coordinator. As a district leader, she built the capacity of the staff and leadership team to embed equitable learning opportunities across all tiers, establish Transformative Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and mental and behavioral health services.  Ms. De La Cruz is a reflective practitioner who is always asking questions, looking at data, and examining whether or not changes have led to improvements.   

Ms. Angelique DeCoste

Ms. DeCoste comes to Danvers with eleven years of experience as Andover’s Elementary Special Education Program Head, overseeing and enhancing special education programming across five elementary schools, including the district’s language based program. She has organized the training of over 160 educators in various specialized reading programs, and 50 educators in specialized writing programs, continually monitoring the need for additional training. She has collaborated with her general education counterparts to reduce referrals to special education by providing general education reading specialists with training in multi-sensory reading methodologies.