
About Dr. Rufo
With a wealth of experience in K-12 education, Dr. Rufo brings a practical lens to her role as a consultant. As an Assistant Superintendent and Special Education Director for a large school district, she led the transformation of special education services from one of mostly separate classrooms to an inclusive service delivery model. She also co-led the district's diversity and equity efforts and was the principal author of the strategic plan.
Prior to entering administration, Dr. Rufo served as a special education teacher, inclusion facilitator, and policy specialist for the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education. Her professional experiences, coupled with graduate work completed at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and training from the Carnegie Foundation in improvement science, have provided her with an understanding of both theory and practical implementation.
Dr. Rufo has shared her knowledge at national and regional events, including The Atlantic’s Education Summit, the Summer Leadership Institute, the National Principals Conference, the Council for Exceptional Children's PA Conference, the Pennsylvania Literacy Conference, and the Pennsylvania Education for All Coalition. She has co-authored Reimagining Special Education: Using Inclusion as a Framework to Build Equity and Support All Students. and has been published in AASA's School Administrator magazine.
Dr. Rufo was inspired to enter the field of education by her sister, Nina, who has severe and multiple disabilities. She views education as her calling and is passionate about ensuring quality programs for ALL students.
About The Team
The consultants on Dr. Rufo's team at empowerED are expert practitioners. Her team is comprised of educators with extensive education experience including former and current...
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Administrators
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Inclusion Facilitators
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Instructional coaches
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Special education teachers
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Board certified behavior analysts
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School psychologists
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General education teachers
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Reading specialists