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Director of Special Services, Grant Management & Innovation Bio

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Ms. Maria Petsos

Director of Special Services, Grant Management & Innovation 

(609) 538-9800 x7176

Email:  mpetsos@ewingboe.org

Maria Petsos is in her eleventh year with The Ewing Public Schools as District Supervisor of Special Education and her fourteenth year in the district. She has over 26 years of experience in general and particular education classrooms and educational testing. Ms. Petsos received her Bachelor's and Masters's Degrees from Rider University. She also holds her Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant Certification (LDT/C) from The College of New Jersey and is Nationally Certified as an Educational Diagnostician. Ms. Petsos also attended Rutgers University, where she received her Board Certification as a Behavior Analyst (BCBA). In addition, she earned her Educational Administration certifications from Rider University. Ms. Petsos is currently enrolled in Gwynedd Mercy's Doctoral program for Educational Leadership with a concentration in Special Education. As a Special Services Supervisor, Ms. Petsos' role encompasses working closely with students and families to ensure the best educational experience for students with diverse learning needs. Advocacy plays a central role, as supervisors must champion the rights and conditions of these students, collaborating with educators, parents, and administrators to create an inclusive and supportive environment. Through coordination, resource allocation, and continuous evaluation, Ms. Petsos plays a crucial role in fostering an inclusive and equitable educational journey for all students, empowering them to reach their full potential. Ms. Petsos works to support the educators she serves so that they can, in turn, support students with special needs to the greatest extent possible. Ms. Petsos continually seeks innovative ways to reach students by empowering her staff. The AIR Dog program was such a program that she introduced to the district in 2021. It has been a very successful intervention for students and staff, providing emotional support and teaching students how to be empathetic and appropriately interact with dogs.