Ms. Jackie Brennan This is Me

Education

 View all 26 references Web References

1. 1. Contacts at OBS

   www.obs.org/text.php?ITEM=124 - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/20/2008   Last Visited: 7/20/2008

   Jackie Brennan Education and Professional Development Director Jackie@obs.org
   ...
   Jackie Brennan Jackie@obs.org

2. 2. Towers Volume 60, No. 4, September 2006

   www.obs.org/page.php?ITEM=232 - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/1/2006   Last Visited: 7/20/2008

   Sandy Finkel, Judy van Naerssen, and Jackie Brennan represented OSB at this year's semi-annual AER International Conference in Utah.
   ...
   Ms. Brennan, of the OSB education staff, is the Deafblind Program Coordinator and a Deafblind Educational Consultant for eastern Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education and PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network).As the chairperson of AER's Division 3 (Deafblind and Multihandicapped), Ms. Brennan coordinated Division Day.
   ...
   So, Jackie Brennan's work on behalf of what is often referred to as the PA Deafblind Project is a natural fit.The five specific goals of the Deafblind Project for addressing the needs of children and youth who are deafblind are:1) Increase families' participation in the education of their children by helping them to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions; 2) Establish a network of parents and family resources; 3) Enhance the ability of local communities to develop and implement instructional programs through strategically planned outreach, technical assistance, and training focused on the critical needs associated with deafblindness; 4) Conduct early, accurate, and ongoing identification of children and youth who are at risk for deafblindness or who are deafblind; and 5) Coordinate with state and national resources for effective program services.Staff can assist teachers and other professionals in developing programs for their students, attend student team meetings, and participate in other meetings about student needs.They can also assist through research and sharing information about upcoming events and best practices.Responding to a question about how OSB benefits from her Deafblind Project work, Ms. Brennan said:

3. 3. Towers Volume 62, No. 1, January 2008

   www.obs.org/page.php?ITEM=274 - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/1/2008   Last Visited: 7/20/2008

   Jackie Brennan has been chosen by the Board of Managers of Overbrook School for the Blind to be OSB's Interim Director.From October to December 2007, she worked closely with the former Director, Bernadette Kappen, to ensure a smooth transition, and this month she assumed the full duties of her new position.
   
   In announcing the appointment, Bob D'Anjolell, President of the Board of Managers, said that the Board was "grateful to Ms. Brennan for agreeing to take on this important role."
   ...
   Ms. Brennan—known throughout the school as a hard working professional educator who is supportive of students, families, and staff—spoke with us in November about her preparation and expectations for the new position.
   
   "I learned from my parents," she says, "that when there's a job to do, you do it well, always to the best of your abilities . . . The work we do here is important, satisfying, and fun."
   ...
   Ms. Brennan is celebrating the start of her 29th year at Overbrook this month.She was initially hired to teach in the Deafblind Program immediately after graduating from Bloomsburg University where she majored in Special Education and minored in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.Then, teaching at Overbrook during the day and taking evening classes, she earned a Master's degree in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Temple University and certification as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.Most recently, she completed her Supervisor Certification Program through the University of Pittsburgh.
   
   Throughout her career, Ms. Brennan has been an enthusiastic learner as well as a successful teacher and supervisor.
   
   One of her colleagues sums her up this way: "Jackie lets everyone know what the rules are and she applies them fairly to everyone and does it with a sense of humor . . . She has an incredible amount of knowledge on a variety of topics related to education law, deafblindness, visual impairment, behavior challenges, and so much more . . . But one of the best things about her is that Jackie is all about the kids."
   
   "I've been very lucky," Ms. Brennan says, "in my family, colleagues, and mentors.
   ...
   Another colleague of Ms. Brennan's, after hearing that the new Interim Director considers herself lucky, smiled and said: "Only Jackie would say that.The rest of us see her as dedicated, committed to the students, and interested in learning all that she can.All of it is fun for her, the learning and the teaching, and she makes it fun for everyone around her."
   
   Ms. Brennan's most recent positions, before becoming Interim Director, were as a state Education Consultant for Deafblindness and OSB's Deafblindness Coordinator.Before that, she supervised OSB's LIFE Secondary Program and the Residential Program.
   
   Asked to try to sum up her professional life to this point, she responds: "All of the work I've done here, including coaching my students, as well as teaching them art, swimming, and music in the early days, when there were no specialty subject teachers in the Deafblind Program, has been personally and professionally satisfying and fun.It's all about the kids and because of them.
   ...
   Members of the Main Line Italian Civic Association and the organization's Golf Committee presented a check for $12,500 to Jackie Brennan.
   ...
   Middle row (l-r) Robert Baer, Tonya Baer, Anne Madden, and Jackie Brennan;
   ...
   Other OSB staff offered a session on the basic functions of the Book Port (Barbara Maurer), Creating Math Documents in Braille and Using Technology in the Math Classroom (Susan Vaughan), Technology in the DeafblindProject(Jackie Brennan), and Integrating Technology in the High School Program (Joan Whartnaby).