Virginia CEC

Marilyn Friend, Ph.D., has spent her career as a general education teacher, special education teacher, teacher educator, and staff developer. She is currently Chair and Professor of Education in the Department of Specialized Education Services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she teaches coursework on inclusive practices and collaboration among service providers. She is also President of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.

Dr. Friend has consulted with school professionals nationally and internationally (more than 2000 presentations and projects in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia) as they collaborate to educate their students, assisting them to create classroom partnerships, to form productive and efficient work teams, to learn the best ways to manage awkward or adversarial conversations, and to communicate effectively with parents. Her particular areas of interest include skills for collaboration, co-teaching, inclusive school practices, team building, shared problem solving, interpersonal communication, and conflict and controversy. She is the author of Special Education: Contemporary Perspectives for School Professionals (3^rd edition) (2011), Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals (6^th edition, 2010) (with Dr. Lynne Cook), Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers (6^th edition, 2012) (with Dr. William Bursuck), and Co-Teach! A Manual for Creating and Sustaining Classroom Partnerships (2008). In addition, she is the co-producer on a series of videotapes about collaboration, co-teaching, and inclusion, including The Power of Two (2^nd edition, 2005) and More Power: Instruction in Co-Taught Classes (2010), and the author of more than 50 articles on collaboration, inclusive practices, and related topics.


	Biographical Statement
Dr. Marilyn Friend	Marilyn Friend, Ph.D., has spent her career as a general education teacher, special education teacher, teacher educator, and staff developer. She is currently Chair and Professor of Education in the Department of Specialized Education Services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she teaches coursework on inclusive practices and collaboration among service providers. She is also President of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. Dr. Friend has consulted with school professionals nationally and internationally (more than 2000 presentations and projects in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia) as they collaborate to educate their students, assisting them to create classroom partnerships, to form productive and efficient work teams, to learn the best ways to manage awkward or adversarial conversations, and to communicate effectively with parents. Her particular areas of interest include skills for collaboration, co-teaching, inclusive school practices, team building, shared problem solving, interpersonal communication, and conflict and controversy. She is the author of Special Education: Contemporary Perspectives for School Professionals (3^rd edition) (2011), Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals (6^th edition, 2010) (with Dr. Lynne Cook), Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers (6^th edition, 2012) (with Dr. William Bursuck), and Co-Teach! A Manual for Creating and Sustaining Classroom Partnerships (2008). In addition, she is the co-producer on a series of videotapes about collaboration, co-teaching, and inclusion, including The Power of Two (2^nd edition, 2005) and More Power: Instruction in Co-Taught Classes (2010), and the author of more than 50 articles on collaboration, inclusive practices, and related topics.