Virginia Zeitlin, Ed.D.

• Frameworks, Perspectives, and Collaboration in Special Education
• Special Education Diagnostics and Assessment
• Introduction to Methods and Teaching Students with Disabilities
• Practicums for Masters Level Special Education Teachers
• Supervisor for Special Educator Student Teaching
• Alternative/Residency Certification and Internships
• Exceptional Characteristics of Students with High Incident Disabilities
• Exceptional Characteristics of Students with Low Incident Disabilities
• Methods of Instruction for Students with Disabilities

Management responsibility for accountability for instructional leadership, educational program administration for Special Education, English as a Second Language programs, Pre-School for All, Early Childhood Special Education, Reading Improvement, Multi-tier Support Systems, School Health Services, Parent and Community Relations and Human Resources. Plan and coordinate staff trainings, IEP and lesson planning, mentor program, hiring, staff evaluations, development of annual benchmarks, program development, enrollment forecasting, compliance issues, budgeting and monitoring of program costs. Oversee and provide leadership for all programs that are necessary for improved student growth.

• Ed.D. Disability & Equity in Education, National Louis University, Wheeling, IL
• M.Ed. Certificate of Advance Study for Superintendent Endorsement-Curriculum and Instruction, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
• M.Ed. Multicategorical Special Education, Governors State University, University Park, IL
• M.Ed. Educational Leadership, Governors State University, University Park, IL
• M.S. Speech/Language Pathology, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL
• B.S. Speech/Language/Audiology, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

Certifications:

• Type 75-Superintendent Endorsement
• Type 75-General Administration K-12
• Type 03-Elementary Teaching
• Type 09-Secondary Teaching
• Type 73-Speech/Language Pathology
• Multiple Special Education Certifications
• English as a Second Language Approval

Dr. Jeannie Zeitlin has served as a Special Education Teacher Preparation Adjunct Faculty Member and Student Teaching Program Supervisor and taught class at NLU on the Wheeling, Lisle, and Chicago Campus in person and online. Working with the NLU learning community, she has developed and redesigned classes and works with the Office of Field Experience to assist students with their special education placements. Another key part of her work at NLU has been preparing and supporting graduate students during student teaching and edTPA preparation, delivery and submission to obtain state teaching licensure.

Prior to joining NLU Dr. Zeitlin had a 35-year career as a special educator serving as a speech/language pathologist, co-teacher, program and curriculum developer and supervisor, special education director, and assistant superintendent. She completed her doctorate degree at NLU in Disability and Equity in Education and also holds four additional Masters degrees in multiple areas of education.

Dr. Zeitlin has served as the president of the Comboni Lay Missionary Board for the past eight years, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the poorest and most abandoned people in the world. Dr. Zeitlin loves teaching graduate students, reading, cooking, bike riding, swimming, and spending time with family and friends.

Research interests include teacher preparation programming, educational and curriculum practices for diverse learners, meaningful parent participation in the educational process, equitable and inclusive education practices & raising academic expectations and improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

Presentations, Publications, Consultations:

• PGM Pediatric Group Educational Consultant 2017-present.
• Administrative Supports for Co-teachers, Presenter at TED Conference, Savannah Georgia, 2017.
• A Sense of Urgency and Other Helpful Tips for Surviving and Dare I Say, Enjoying Your Dissertation Journey, Keynote Speaker Doctoral Symposium, National Louis University, 2016.
• Aligning Common Core Standards to Meaningful IEP Goals and Objectives. LADSE Professional Development, Keynote Speaker, 2015.
• Condition Critical-Key Principles for Equitable and Inclusive Education. Co-author chapter Advocating for Successful School Change, 2014.
• Parental voices on Individualized Education Programs: ‘Oh, IEP meeting tomorrow? Rum tonight!’, Disability & Society, 2013.
• Rethinking the IEP Process: The Parent Voice and Considerations for Change. Dissertation, 2012.
• Individualized Educational Programs (IEP) as a Process and Product. Presenter at 11^th Annual Research Forum, National Louis, 2012.
• What Parents Really Feel About Special Education? Presenter at Doctoral Spring Symposium, National Louis, 2012.
• Policy and Challenges of Building Schools as Inclusive Communities. International Journal of Inclusive Education, Vol. 15. Co-author, 2011.
• Parents Perceptions of the IEP Process, Annual Conference of Illinois Special Education Administrators, presenter, 2010.
• School Leaders Role in Building Inclusive School Environments, 9^th Annual Second City Conference on Disability Studies in Education, Co-presenter at Syracuse University, NY, 2009.
• The Practice and Problem of Labeling Children: Strategies for a New Way of Thinking. Paper and Presentation at National Louis University, 2008.
• At Risk Preschool Program Experience as a Predictor of Later Academic Success. Thesis and presentation for Superintendent Endorsement, 2006.

• Email: vzeitlin@nl.edu

• Phone: 708.903.7821