Biltmore Who's Who Selects Diana Benincasa as this week's Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2009.
Diana Benincasa, dean of special education for Washoe County School District Valleys High School, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who's Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Diana Benincasa's commitment to excellence in the field of education.
Beginning in 2001, Mrs. Benincasa was hired to open a new school as the lead teacher and after a year became the dean of the special education department at North Valleys High School. Thanks to a man by the name of Tom Owens, she's been with the department now for the last seven years, a title that no one else in the school district holds.
As dean, Mrs. Benincasa hires all incoming teachers, aides and assistants for the department and acts as liaison between the department, the parents, administration and the district. She supports teachers in developing and implementing IEPs, assists and oversees training new teachers and provides professional development for the department and school. In addition to many other responsibilities, Mrs. Benincasa maintains the budget and is responsible for campus safety. She has been trained in numerous special education areas, including learning disabilities, autism spectrum, ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder and traumatic brain injuries.
Benincasa's inspiration to work with children began at home with the help of her parents who were both in the education field as well. Her father taught high school after serving twenty years in the military and her mother was a school nurse for severely multiple handicapped children. Her hope as a teacher, Benincasa said, is that her kids will feel the same way about her as she does about her parents.
Diana M. Benincasa earned her BS in Elementary and Special Education from Northern Arizona University in 1987, with a minor in emotional handicaps, behavioral management and psychology, followed by an MA in Supervision and Educational Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2000.
Mrs. Benincasa is a member of the National Education Association, Learning Disabilities Association and is a leader for the Girl Scouts of America. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and travelling.
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Diana Benincasa
posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Friday, August 14, 2009