Jo Anne Simon is an attorney in private practice in Brooklyn, New York, concentrating on discrimination in higher education, high stakes testing and employment. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Fordham University School of Law and formerly served for four years as staff attorney at Hofstra Law School's Disabilities Law Clinic.   A long time disability rights advocate and a former disability services provider in higher education, Ms. Simon has acted as lead counsel for the plaintiff in Bartlett v. New York State Board of Law Examiners, from the case's inception. She is a founding member of the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD), and served on its Board of Directors for many years. She also serves as the Second Vice President of the New York chapter of the International Dyslexia Association and on the Professional Advisory Board of the Learning Disability Association of America.   Ms. Simon received her Masters degree in education of the deaf at Gallaudet University. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the New York City Bar Association, where she formerly chaired the Committee on Legal Issues Affecting People with Disabilities.       Dee Alpert is the publisher of TheSpecialEducationMuckraker.com , a web site which deals extensively with the lack of accountability endemic in special education bureaucracies, and issues relating to No Child Left Behind. She has served as the NYC, NYS and National NOW Employment Discrimination Taskforces' Coordinator; Vice President of an affirmative action management consulting firm; member of the Professional Advisory Board of a chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association; consultant to plaintiffs' counsel in large federal court employment discrimination class actions in both the manufacturing and higher education sectors, and as a forensic consultant to attorneys litigating against large primary and secondary educational entities. Additionally, she is a consultant to legislators of both political parties on special education matters in several states.       Leslie Packer, PhD, is a psychologist in private practice on Long Island who specializes in treating youth with neurological disorders such as Tourette's Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and mood disorders. She provides behavioral consultation to school districts and has taught workshops both for NYSED and BOCES. Prior to going into private practice and consulting work, Dr. Packer obtained her doctorate in experimental psychology, taught undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology, and worked at NYU Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital Center in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, using behavioral medicine therapeutic modalities with neurologically impaired adults.   Dr. Packer publishes both the Tourette Syndrome "Plus" web site for parents, clinicians, and educators, and the SchoolBehavior.com web site for educators, has published in peer-reviewed publications such as Behavior Modification and Neurologic Clinics, and is currently under contract for a book for educators.   Dr. Packer served on the Board of Directors for the Tourette Syndrome Association Long Island Chapter, and as Chapter President; as well as on the national Tourette Syndrome Association Education and Advocacy committees, and the Community and Professional advisory boards for the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island.           Alerts News About Reports Media Home     We are just getting started. The Coalition is looking for representatives of disability-related advocacy organizations, mental health organizations, parent organizations concerned with educational issues, and any organization concerned about the welfare and education of children in NYS to become part of our board.   We could also use some technical support for the site -- like a real web designer and someone who can help maintain the site. If you can volunteer your services or know someone who can, please contact us.   To reach us by email: info@transparencyinpubliceducation.org