Dr. Matthew Wanzenberg benefits from over 28 years of experience as an award-winning special education administrator, teacher, and research professional in special education law and policy.
As founder and Chief Consultant for Wanzenberg and Associates, he employs a moderated approach to communication between schools and parents. He serves a wide range of learners as an Executive Functioning Skills Coach.
Wanzenberg has built a reputation as an effective internal advocate in public schools. Throughout his career he has fostered the tenets of the Council of Exceptional Children’s Code of Ethics for students with disabilities.
He maintains active certification as a special education teacher and administrator in the state of Illinois.
Wanzenberg studied special education instruction and policy at the University of Florida as a B.O. Smith Graduate Research Assistant. As a research assistant in the University of Florida’s Research in Transition Team (RITT), he participated in the identification and development of Community Based Training (CBT) Models. He earned a Bachelor of Education in Physical Impairments and Learning Disabilities in 1993. In 1994, he earned a Masters of Education in Transition Services for Young Adults with Disabilities. In 1999, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education Policy.
Wanzenberg fares from a long family line of professional educators: he represents the fourth generation of educators in his family. As a special education teacher, he served students throughout the entire continuum of service delivery including general education support, inclusion facilitator, assistive technology consultation, resource teacher, self-contained teacher, therapeutic day school liaison, and coordinator for residential placement services. He was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2007.
As an administrator, Wanzenberg benefits from building level administrative experience as an Assistant Principal in a highly inclusive school district. Moreover, Wanzenberg served as a district representative or local educational representative (LEA) in IEP team meetings for over 13 years.
Wanzenberg serves as instructor in several Chicagoland teacher preparation programs. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in special education, contemporary educational issues, school supervision, school law, school finance, and methodologies in the instruction of students with disabilities.
He worked alongside lawmakers and lawyers in policy development in special education and has assisted The Florida State Board of Education in identifying accredited school leadership competencies.
He is uniquely qualified in the area of IEP meeting dispute resolution. He has facilitated or participated in well over 4500 IEP meetings in his career. His track record of student-focused outcomes, moderation, and conflict resolution assisted associated school districts with an extremely low frequency of due-process and OCR complaint proceedings.
Wanzenberg identifies his most meaningful professional accomplishment as the “positive, enriching, and enduring relationships” that have developed with families and children.
Matt can be reached at mw@iepguardians.org and (630) 545-0234.
Resources: