Office for Exceptional Children Contact Information
The Office for Exceptional Children provides leadership, assistance and oversight to school districts and other entities that provide differentiated instruction for students with disabilities.
Among its responsibilities, the office administers state and federal funds; coordinates and administers programs to improve outcomes for students with disabilities; implements a statewide monitoring and complaint-resolution system designed to assess district/educational agency compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations; and provides technical assistance to districts and educational agencies around issues of compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).
OEC Office Hours
The Office for Exceptional Children will hold monthly Office Hours. These monthly meetings will occur the last Wednesday of every month at 3 p.m. and will be geared to anyone in special education.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please contact Abbie Miller, ADA coordinator, at ADAaccommodation@education.ohio.gov or (614) 369-4919 (voice) no later than three business days (72 hours) before your event date. Requests submitted less than 72 hours before the event may not be accommodated, though the Department will make every effort to provide accommodations if possible.
Sessions
Upcoming OEC Office Hours
Topic: Ohio's Integrated MTSS
Date and Time: April 29, 2026 - 3-4 p.m.
Presenter: Office of Instructional Coherence and Impact
PowerPoint: OEC Office Hours April 2026 PowerPoint
Recording: OEC Office Hours April recording
Topic: tbd
Date and Time: May 27, 2026 - 3-4 p.m.
Presenter: tbd
Link to Join: coming soon
Past OEC Office Hours
Topic: The Story of Amira: Connecting IDEA Indicators to Real Student Outcomes
Date and Time: March 25, 2026 - 3-4 p.m.
Presenter: DEW Office of Accountability
PowerPoint: OEC Office Hours March 2026 PowerPoint
Recording: The Story of Amira: Connecting IDEA Indicators to Real Student Outcomes
Topic: Special Education Waivers
Date and Time: February 25, 2026 - 3-4 p.m.
Presenter: Sarah Buoni
PowerPoint: OEC Office Updates PowerPoint
Recording: OEC Office Updates
Topic: Ohio's Integrated MTSS
Date and Time: January 28, 2026 - 3-4 p.m.
Presenter: Kelly Churchwright, Tricia Couts-Everett, Kerry Martinez
PowerPoint: OEC Office Updates PowerPoint
Recording: OEC Office Updates
Topic: Secondary Education School Personnel
Date and Time: October 29, 2025 - 3-4 p.m.
Presenter: Amy Szymanski
PowerPoint: OEC Office Updates PowerPoint
Recording: OEC Office Updates
Contact Information
General
(E) Exceptionalchildren@education.ohio.gov
(P) 614-466-2650
(Toll-free) 877-644-6338
(TTY) Please call Ohio Relay Service at (800) 750-0750
(F) 614-728-1097
25 S. Front Street, Mail Stop 409
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Specific Offices
Staff
Jo Hannah Ward, Administrator
johannah.ward@education.ohio.gov
Nikki Poindexter, Administrative Professional, Administrator's Office
nikki.poindexter@education.ohio.gov
Beth Arledge, Program Administrator, Administrator's Office
elizabeth.arledge@education.ohio.gov
Sarah Buoni, Associate Administrator-Diverse Learners
sarah.buoni@education.ohio.gov
Jessica Shields, Associate Administrator
jessica.shields@education.ohio.gov
Diane Loomis, Administrative Professional
diane.loomis@education.ohio.gov
Carol Baker, Administrative Professional, Dispute Resolution
carol.baker@education.ohio.gov
Kim Phillips, Assistant Administrator, Dispute Resolution
kimberly.phillips@education.ohio.gov
Shirley Coulter, Assistant Administrator, Urban Supports
shirley.coulter@education.ohio.gov
Chralin Forsthoefel, Assistant Administrator, Supports and Monitoring
chralin.forsthoefel@education.ohio.gov
Kaellen Craft, Data Manager
kaellen.craft@education.ohio.gov
Last Modified: 5/8/2026 2:47:54 PM