Cardona 'Thrilled' With Biden's Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Special Education at Dept. of Ed.

President Biden intends to nominate Glenna Gallo for assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services at the U.S. Department of Education, announced the White House today. Gallo has more than 25 years of public education experience working with students with disabilities and 16 years of experience in state-level educational leadership.

Glenna GalloMost recently, she has been serving as the assistant superintendent of special education in the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in Washington state since 2017. Within her tenure, the state's special education programs were allocated an additional $155 million; the historical state special education funding allocation formula was revised to support inclusionary practices; and the high-needs risk pool process was also revised to reduce administrative burden on school districts.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona said he was "thrilled" to hear of her appointment.

"This nomination shows a deep commitment from this administration to ensure our nation’s students with disabilities receive the services and supports they need to reach their potential," said Cardona. "Glenna brings decades of deep expertise in special education and a strong record of supporting students with disabilities to this role. During her work in Washington state as the assistant superintendent of special education, Glenna oversaw millions of dollars for state special education programs and worked to ensure these programs adequately supported and uplifted students with disabilities. Glenna’s commitment to supporting the special education community will be instrumental in shaping and implementing the Department's goals and strategies. I am thankful for her willingness to serve our nation."