About Sheila Fernley

Hello, I'm glad that you came to this page to learn about me and my company. 

I am the Founder and Operating Manager of SAF Educational Solutions LLC. My commitment to improving the quality of education for all children is evidenced by my years of service to public and private schools alike. I founded SAF Educational Solutions, because as a customer and vendor I recognized the need for customized services to meet the unique challenges of schools and districts.

I am a national trainer and author. A teacher’s teacher with more than 20 years education experience, I practice what I teach. I strive to inspire audiences with my unique blend of humor and deep knowledge of what works in education. In my workshops and public speaking I use real-world experiences that teachers, administrators and parents can relate to and offer solutions that consistently work.

An Associate for the Center for Teacher Effectiveness, I am best known for my workshops on classroom discipline, educating at-risk learners, educating students with disabilities and Response to Intervention.

I have taught students in special education and Title I classrooms, served at the district level in public education and served on the Board of a private school. I have developed and presented workshops for teachers and administrators on a  variety of topics and have authored and co-authored on numerous educational topics.

Published Articles

Tips for Getting Your Technology Projects Funded
Nickie Weaver and Sheila Fernley
January 2004
T.H.E. Journal

Keep Your Program Growing After the Money Runs Out
December 2005
T.H.E. Journal

States look for ways to help students make grade-level progress
April 5, 2006
Special Ed Connection (subscription Website)

Effective organizational structure key to sustained achievement
July 7, 2006
EducationDaily.com (subscription Website)

Construct learning interventions that move students to proficiency
Feb 6, 2007
EducationDaily.com (subscription Website)

Follow North Carolina's lead; get everyone on the same page about SES
February 28, 2007
EducationDaily.com (subscription Website)

Differentiate instruction for all learners to meet AYP goals
March 28, 2007
EducationDaily.com (subscription Website)

Use formative assessments to confirm learning, weed out misconceptions
April 11, 2007
Special Ed Connection (subscription Website)

Published Books/Chapters

What Do I Do When... The Answer Book on RTI
Sheila Fernley, Stephen D. LaRue and John Norlin, Esq.
Chapter 2
Chapter 6
Tools and Resources, including School Psychology Competency Matrix
Note: Available at the Idaho State Department of Education's RTI Lending Library

Student Discipline and School Safety: Administrator's Guide to Best Practices, Policies, and Procedures
John W. Norlin, Sheila Fernley and Stephen LaRue

Ready-to-Use Professional Development: Focusing on LRE and Inclusion

Ready-to-Use Professional Development: Focusing on Special Education

Ready-To-Use Professional Development: Focusing on Behavior Management

Published e-Learning Courses

IDEA '04 DirectStep Series: What Educators Need to Know
Each of the seven 90-minute courses offers an interactive approach to understanding and applying the reauthorization of IDEA.

• IDEA Rules on IEP Process 
• IDEA Rules on Discipline 
• IDEA Rules on Accountability 
• IDEA Rules on Intervention and Overidentification 
• IDEA Rules on Procedures and Due Process 
• IDEA Rules on Eligibility and Evaluation 
• IDEA Rules on Highly Qualified 

Instructional Strategies for Teachers: What Works in the Classroom

Instruction from the Administrator's Perspective: Application, Support and Monitoring

Section 504: Determining Appropriate Eligibility

Section 504 Eligible: What Now?

Conference Presentations

The following list of presentations is not inclusive, but reflects some of the conference topics on which I have presented.

What's All the Ruckus About RTI
2007 National Staff Development Council

Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Students with Learning Disabilities
2008 Florida Charter School Conference

Understanding and Improving Parental Involvement of Highly Mobile Students
2008 Florida Migrant and Homeless Education Conference

Avoiding the Placement of Highly Mobile Students as Learning Disabled
2008 Florida Migrant and Homeless Education Conference

A Framework for Planning Meaningful Professional Development
2009 Florida Charter School Conference

Understanding and Improving Parental Involvement of Culturally Diverse and LEP Parents
2009 Florida Council for Exceptional Children

When Your Plate's Too Full: Benefits of Using a Third-Party to Deliver Services to Private Schools
2009 Florida Council for Exceptional Children

Presentations on Equitable Services to Private Schools

Diocese of Orlando (FL)

Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (FL)

Diocese of Charleston (SC)

Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston (WV)