Innovative Special Education Services :: Supporting Minnesota Charter Schools

Meet Carina Abate-Wright

Work Experience 

Carina Abate Wright is a Director of Special Education at ISES of MN.  Prior to her position with ISES of MN, she was a Special Education Administrator, for 5 years and District ESY Coordinator in the Anoka-Hennepin School District; the largest school district in Minnesota.  Prior to her work at Anoka-Hennepin, Carina was the Special Education Program Coordinator and Teacher at Academia Cesar Chavez ISD #4073; a bilingual dual language charter school in St. Paul, MN.  Working at this Charter School was one of the most meaningful experiences of her career.  She believes that the missions and visions that Charter Schools have the ability to focus on is what creates passion in the people that work there.  She is happy to be serving these ingenious, inventive programs. Carina comes to ISES of MN with broad knowledge of Special Education as a whole.  She has specialized knowledge in Program Evaluation, Due Process and Conflict Resolution, Creation of Professional Learning Communities; and Best Practices in Behavioral Approaches.  Carina has supervised the Setting III EBD Center-based and Setting III ASD Center-based Programs.  She has supervised Autism Resource Specialists, Behavior Intervention Specialists, OT’s and COTA’s.  Carina has extensive Training in Restitution. Carina possesses problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and she enjoys leading staff through professional development.

Education: 

1995-1997         Hibbing Community College                      Hibbing, MN

A.A. Degree

Graduated magna cum laude.

1997-2000          North Central University                         Minneapolis, MN

B.S. Elementary Education, with a Kindergarten Endorsement, (K-6).

Minor in Biblical Studies

Graduated magna cum laude.

2002-2005         Bethel University                                     St. Paul, MN

M.A. Degree in Education

Licensure in Special Education, Specific Learning Disabilities, (K-12).

Graduated summa cum laude.

2005-2008   St. Mary’s University of Minnesota                 Twin Cities, MN

Post-Graduate Licensure for Director of Special Education (Birth-Age 21).

Graduated summa cum laude

On a Personal Note 

Carina strongly believes in, and is committed to helping special education students meet their educational goals and dreams.  She is committed to mentoring, supervising and working with staff to help achieve this goal.  Carina has a strong passion for and commitment to Diversity.  She is dedicated to decreasing the over-identification of specific student groups into special education.  She is highly interested in Research-Based Best Practices for creating culturally appropriate special education programming for these learners.