Brownwood ISD proudly held a news conference Tuesday afternoon to announce its own Director of Special Education, Alice Cox, was named the 2011 Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE) Special Education Director of the Year.
Cox received a trophy and special recognition during the TCASE Great Ideas Convention in Austin on January 17th. Dr. Reece Blincoe, Superintendent for BISD and Leisa Land, Assistant Superintendent attended the presentation of the award.
Cox was also recognized as the Special Education Director of the Year for Region 15 in November 2011. She was selected out of the three nominees that included special education director from Region 4, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (Jane Flynn) and Region 20, Floresville ISD (Paige Fuller).This award recognizes a special education director who demonstrates outstanding leadership in providing services to students with disabilities and whose work reflects the highest professional and ethical standards.
Cox is active in TCASE, Council for Educators for Students with Disabilities (CESD), and serves as co-chairperson for the Brown County Consortium, a group composed of school district members, Child Placing Agencies and the Department of Family Protective Services.
She has been involved in special education for 19 years and an additional 19 years in general education with teaching experience in all levels including elementary, middle and high schools.
Bowling for Life Skills students, summer camp for students with auditory impairments and summer reading and math rodeos are some of the special needs programs that Cox has organized or facilitated.
She said that she was excited to hear of her selection for the award, which was received on January 6th, through a phone call she received from Margret Leifeste, ESC XV in San Angelo while she was driving.
“I was driving and had to pull over for safety’s sake,” said Cox. “Of course I had to immediately call my husband and start texting the news to others. Unbelievably exciting!”
Cox expressed the honor of receiving such an award.
“This is such an honor, over the top, once in a lifetime opportunity to receive this award,” said Cox. “When you are honored by your peers and supported by your district, I don’t know how it could get any better. So thank you very, very much.”
See video of the full presentation below.
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