Quicklinks
// SPECIAL STUDENT POPULATIONS
blue header
About Us...
The Special Student Populations Team provides direct student services, training and professional development, technical assistance, information dissemination and communication to school district personnel in the ESC 17 area and throughout the state in the Special Education areas of: 
Special Education
Assistive Technology, Autism, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Federal and State Accountability, Legal Framework, Complex Access Needs and the STAAR-Alt 2, Progress in the General Curriculum, Orientation and Mobility training for students that are visually impaired, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, Early Childhood Special Education, Speech and Language Pathology, and Visual Impairment, as well as, hosting the Statewide Non-Traditional Deaf Education Certification program.
Elizabeth Adams
Education Specialist
eadams@esc17.net
806-281-5876
  • Child Find, Evaluation, and ARD Supports
  • Legal Framework
  • SPP Indicators 7, 11, 12, 13, & 14
Nancy Coffey
Education Specialist
ncoffey@esc17.net
806-281-5831
  • Autism
  • Secondary Transition
  • School Psychology
Jennifer DeLeon
Education Specialist
jdeleon@esc17.net
806-281-5889
  • Special Education Liaison
  • RDA; DMS; Special Education Accountability
Elda DeSantiago
Education Specialist
edesantiago@esc17.net
806-281-5858
  • Inclusion Support
  • Bilingual/ESL
  • TELPAS, LPAC
  • STAAR w/Accommodations
Annie Halbakken
Support Staff
ahalbakken@esc17.net
806-281-5701
Tonya Gary
Education Specialist
tgary@esc17.net
806-281-5871
  • Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education
  • Non-traditional Deaf Education Certification Program
Evelyn Gilson
Support Staff
egilson@esc17.net
806-281-5867
Profile Picture
Profile picture of Jamie Canales
Jamie Canales
Education Specialist
jcanales@esc17.net
806-281-5737
  • Complex Access Needs/Significant Cognitive Disabilities/Low-Incidence
  • Blind/Visual Impairments
Amy Hagerman
Education Specialist
ahagerman@esc17.net
806-281-5859
  • Behavior
  • MTSS/PBIS, Behavior
Cynthia Hobbs
Education Specialist
P: (806) 281-5840
E: chobbs@esc17.net
  • Dyslexia
  • Texas Reading Academy
Scotta Knight
Education Specialist
sknight@esc17.net
806-281-5816
  • Counselors Solutions
  • Mental and Behavioral Grant Program
Kasey Murillo
Education Specialist
kmurillo@esc17.net
806-281-5880
  • Assistive Technology
  • Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI)
  • Speech Language Pathology
  • Related Services (OT, PT)
  • Multiple Exceptionalities
Anna Phillips
Coordinator, Student Support
aphillips@esc17.net
806-281-5891
  • General Special Education
  • SpEd Director Support
  • Special Education Grants/Budgets
  • SPP 7, 12
  • CRCG/NonEd Funds
  • Foster Care
Shannon Phillips
Education Specialist
sphillips@esc17.net
806-281-5847
  • Special Education Liaison
  • RDA; DMS; Special Education Accountability
Amy Smallwood
Education Specialist
asmallwood@esc17.net
806-281-5879
  • Mental Health
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Mental and Behavioral Health Grant Program Lead
L'Rae Watson
Education Specialist
lwatson@esc17.net
806-281-5870
  • ECSE - Early Childhood Special Education 
  • General Education PreK
  • Migrant PreK
  • School, Family and Community Support