Sara has been on the SpEd Forms Leadership Committee since 2010. She serves as a voice representing the Twin Cities Metro area.

Education
Sara Derby earned a Master’s degree (1999) and a Bachelor of Science degree (1998) in Communicative Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She also holds a minor in Psychology from River Falls. During her career, Sara earned two Educational Administration Licensures; one as a Director of Special Education, and the other as a K-12 Principal. Both licensures were received at St. Cloud University in 2010. Ms. Derby also received a certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

Professional Experience
Sara served as a Speech-Language Pathologist in three different Minnesota school districts between 1999 and 2009. She started her career working in ISD 2125 (Dodge Center/West Concord/Claremont) before moving to ISD 535 (Rochester), and then onto ISD 197 serving the cities of West St. Paul/Eagan/Mendota Heights. During the 2009-10 school year, Sara served as the Due Process Facilitator for ISD 197. Currently, Ms. Derby is the Assistant Director of Student Support Services for the Stillwater Area Public Schools.

During her career, Sara conducted new teacher training on SpEd Forms and served on the Special Education Leadership Committee in ISD 197. In 2009, Sara was honored by KARE 11 News for the “What’s Cool in School” segment for developing a special education social skills program. Currently, Sara is a member of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) and the Minnesota Association of Special Education (MASE).

Personal Notes
Sara grew up in a Swiss community in Berne, Minnesota and enjoys being active in her Swiss heritage. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, crafting, and she especially loves golfing.