She received her B.A. in Secondary English Education from State University of New York at Albany in 1983, her M.S. in Educational Psychology and Statistics and Special Education from State University of New York at Albany in 1984, and her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Central Florida in 1997. She is passionate about inclusive education for students with severe disabilities, systems change, teacher collaboration, and differentiated instruction and Universal Design.