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 Katie Barnes, ADA coordinator, at ADAaccommodation@education.ohio.gov or (614) 387-7716 (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
There will be no OEC Office Hours in November or December due to Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
Next OEC Office Hour
Topic: tbd
Date and Time: January 28, 2026 - 3-4 p.m.
Presenter: tbd
Link to join: coming soon
Past OEC Office Hours
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
(F) 614-728-1097
25 S. Front Street, Mail Stop 409
Columbus, Ohio 43215
- For callers using TTY, please call Ohio Relay Service at (800) 750-0750.
Specific Offices
Contact Form
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: 11/24/2025 8:40:54 AM