Exceptional Student Education Polk County
ESE Advisory Meetings

Attention Parents and Caregivers

Polk County has a Parent Advisory Council for Students with Disabilities! This is your
opportunity to be a part of this collaborative team between our community and our schools.

  • Open discussions on how the group wants to form and run the committee
  • The importance of using a positive approach in this new collaboration.
  • How to better  improve communication between parents and the school district
  • Improving CBI (Community Based Instruction)
  • Improving the development of IEP goals
  • Better training for parents and teachers
  • Budget cuts and spending
These are just a few of the topics discussed. We encourage all parents of ESE students to
attend these meetings.

For information call Laura Taft at 863.647.4258 or email laura.taft@polk-fl.net
Jim Miles Professional Development  Center
5204 US Hwy 98 S
Highland City 9am-11am.
For more information, contact the ESE department at
863-647-4258  Hope to see you there!
Administration
All phone number area codes are 863
Area Senior Manager Contact Information: Click Here

Name: Title & Location: Phone: Fax:
Diane Taylor  ESE Director
Bartow Municipal Airport
#270, Bartow, Fl 33830 534-0930 519-8407

Leslie Allore Senior Manager
Northwest Area Office
304 North Fern Road, Lakeland, FL 33801 499-2826 499-2882

Teri Crace  Senior Manager
Northeast Area
945 N Buena Vista Blvd., Lake Alfred, FL 33850 956-2082 956-2088

Lisa Martin Senior Manager
Southwest Area - Lakeland Highlands Middle
740 Lake Miriam Drive, Lakeland, FL 33813
648-3248 648-3254

Teri Bronson Senior Manager
Southeast Area Office
1785 East Wabash, Bartow, FL 33830 534-7480 519-3627

Teresa Fields  Senior Manager
East Area Office
250 East Grove Avenue, Lake Wales FL 33853 679-4338 679-4832

Karen Toppin  Senior Manager
Transition - Bartow Municipal Airport
#270, Bartow, FL 33830 534-0934 519-8861

Angela Bottom Senior Manager
Bartow Municipal Airport
#270, Bartow, Fl 33830 519-8870 519-7559
Welcome to the new ESE information page. We hope to keep
you informed of all district updates with regards to ESE and our
children.  
I would like to introduce myself, my name is Laura Taft and I am now on board with FDLRS in the position of
Parent/Transition Specialist. I am excited about this position and looking forward to working with parents,
guardians, and agencies. I have been a teacher of children and young adults with disabilities for 30 years
and was the Director for Special Olympics and VSA for two of those years. I have posted a date for
parents/guardians to remember below. I hope to meet many of you soon,
Sincerely,
Laura Taft
Parent/Transition Specialist
FDLRS
647-4258

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