Jessica Eshbaugh – Techincal Assistance Team Director, East TN
Jessica is a doctoral student in Special Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She served as a TBSP consultant, a district-based teacher on special assignments working with priority schools, a school-based TAP Master teacher, and an English teacher in a high-need, high school setting. Her areas of interest are improving academic and behavioral outcomes for all students. Her areas of expertise include school-wide positive behavioral supports, classroom management practices, and preventative approaches for problem behavior, and literacy instruction and interventions for adolescents and students with reading difficulties. Her interest is focused on evidence-based academic and behavioral support for at-risk students and positively changing their perception of the educational experience to overcome obstacles.
Miller Foutch – Technical Assistance Team Consultant
Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in Exceptional Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a Master of Education Administration from Union College. She holds endorsements in modified and comprehensive Special Education, Secondary English, English as a Second Language, and Administration. She has over twenty-three years of experience working with individuals with disabilities and behavioral disorders, both in school and residential settings. She taught in a variety of K-12 classrooms including both traditional and alternative school settings and also served as department chair, WBL Coordinator and Senior Sponsor. Miller is excited to expand her love of Tier I schoolwide behavioral supports and expertise to the alignment of RTI2-A + RTI2-B frameworks. She also enjoys helping school teams expand their Family and Community engagement through connecting and reflecting on her time in the classroom and her time now spent as a parent on various School Support Organizations.
Michael Morrow – Technical Assistance Team Consultant
Michael earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in special education from the University of Tennessee. He is currently pursuing a PhD in special education and certification as a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst at UT. He also taught special education in a range of settings, primarily focused on supporting students with Autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other complex communication and behavioral needs. He additionally worked as a special education facilitator, supervising multiple schools, and supporting the districts comprehensive developmental classroom programming for middle and high schools. As a district-level facilitator, he supported the implementation of tiered supports for both behavior and academics. This work matters to Michael as he believes “is the most efficient way to support ALL students achieve the outcomes they are working towards with consistent and meaningful support.”
Jessica Ogburn – Technical Assistance Team Consultant
Jessica earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Growth and Learning with a focus in Elementary Education from Tusculum College and a master’s in Education with a focus in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Phoenix. Her interest and area of focus is in providing technical assistance, trainings, and guidance to school districts. Jessica’s goal is to continue working with schools and school districts to help guide the Academic and Behavior alignment.
Ashlee Smethers Technical Assistance Consultant
Ashlee is a doctoral candidate in special education and currently working towards a board-certified behavior analyst license. She has a Master of Science degree in Special Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Baker University in Kansas. She is interested in researching and improving teacher training, professional development, and coaching opportunities for educators. She is also interested in improving teachers’ use of classroom management and data-based decision-making to improve student outcomes in academic and non-academic skills. Her professional goal is to find efficient and effective ways to improve teacher outcomes. Ashlee hopes that by supporting educators through coaching and feedback, instructional practices and outcomes for students will increase educators’ self-efficacy and help reduce teacher burnout rates.
