Kelly Rauscher joined CADRE in 2015 as a Learning and Development Specialist. Kelly brings over 25 years of experience working at the local, state, and national levels within the education, mental health, and foster care systems. As a parent of children who benefitted from both early intervention and special education services, and as someone who experienced challenges navigating these systems, she is passionate about supporting state education agencies, lead agencies and parent centers in building local-level capacity and in improving their states’ dispute resolution systems.
Kelly provides trainings and technical assistance to support a full continuum of special education dispute resolution options and specializes in system design and improvement, stakeholder engagement, building local-level capacity, and instructional design. She has worked predominately with under-resourced educators, parents, and providers in both rural and urban areas, and continuously strives to facilitate the development and implementation of systemic solutions to meet the needs of those most impacted. She also serves as the project lead in the use of technology for delivering information and training to different audiences through a variety of platforms.
Prior to joining CADRE, Kelly was with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for eight years. She managed the Social and Emotional Learning Standards Professional Development and School Mental Health initiatives and was the co-lead in the development and implementation of several systems, including an IEP Facilitation System, a Comprehensive System of Learning Supports, and a Family Engagement System. Kelly also served as the Parent Involvement (Indicator 8) team leader and oversaw related improvement activities and survey administration.
When Kelly isn’t working, thinking about work, or dreaming about work, she enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and goofy cat. She also loves to read, hike, listen to podcasts, and dabble in creative endeavors, such as writing, painting, and pottery.