Elizabeth Bauer
Elizabeth Bauer is an accomplished educational leader and special education professional with 16 years of experience dedicated to supporting students with disabilities and strengthening educational systems. She currently serves as the Supervisor of Special Education Compliance for the Plainfield Board of Education, a role she has held for over three years, where she oversees special education services from PreK-12 through post-graduate programs for students ages 18-21. Her leadership focuses on ensuring compliance with state and federal mandates, developing high-quality educational programs, and creating inclusive learning environments that empower students, families, and educators alike. She is deeply committed to building strong systems that support student success while maintaining the highest standards of accountability and service delivery.
Elizabeth’s career journey began as a Special Education Teacher Assistant before advancing into the role of School Psychologist, where she served in multiple leadership capacities including case manager, Child Study Team Coordinator, IEP Software Advisor, and Lead Psychologist supporting legal and compliance matters. Her extensive hands-on experience has given her a deep understanding of the complexities of special education law, IEP development, behavior management, psychological assessment, and transition planning for students with diverse needs, including autism, multiple disabilities, and emotional regulation impairments. In her current role, she supervises case managers, related service providers, teaching staff, and instructional aides while managing all state reporting, Medicaid reimbursement, and district-wide compliance efforts. She also authored the department’s standard operating procedures and several district policies, helping to establish a strong operational foundation for long-term success.
Known for her practical leadership style and deep knowledge of special education law, Elizabeth believes in teaching through demonstration and collaboration. She facilitates frequent professional development sessions for staff, offering hands-on training where educators work alongside her step-by-step to ensure accuracy, consistency, and confidence in compliance practices. She has also created accountability systems such as tracking tools for annual reviews, meetings, and workflow management to help teams stay organized and compliant. Beyond the school system, she works closely with families by leading parent training sessions through the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (CPAC), educating parents on their legal rights and the services their children are entitled to receive through public education. Her philosophy is that while special education is individualized, the systems supporting it should be standardized, equitable, and grounded in both empathy and the law.
• Governor’s Educational Services Professional of the Year
• School Supervisor
• Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP)
• Rutgers University - BA, Psych
• New Jersey City University - MA
• New Jersey Governor's Educational Service Professional of the Year (2019-2020)
• Aspiring Leaders Program Inaugural Cohort Member
• Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society
• Special Education Committee
• Supervisor Committee
• Frontline K-12 AI Initiative Committee
• Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education
• New Jersey Association of School Psychologists
• American Psychological Association
• National Association of School Psychologists
• Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (CPAC) Training Facilitator
What do you attribute your success to?
I come from a long line of educators in my family, including my mom, my dad, several of my aunts and uncles, and most importantly, my grandmother. My grandmother was born in 1921 and was a principal of one of the biggest public schools in Jersey City. She went from being a teacher to an administrator and eventually principal, and she also completed her doctorate minus the dissertation, which for women of her generation is not very typical. She always inspired me to be a strong woman - that I could do anything that the boys could do. She instilled the leadership qualities in me, and I often feel her or hear her voice in my head. We called my grandmother Marge, not grandma or nanny, because that's how she was. The expectation was high with her - there was no babyishness, you had to be tough and take it on the chin. She was really an inspiration because she had 8 children and did all these things at the same time. What's strongest in me is my intrinsic motivation, my determination and drive to do well for me and hold myself to a high standard. I feel I'm most influential and successful in an administrative position where I'm still working hands-on with the teaching staff, case managers, and related service people, making sure that everything is done with fidelity. My approach to teaching is through showing - my mom always told me when she was in the classroom, her best supervisors would come in and not tell you what to do, they would show you what to do. So I took that into my practice, and I'm the one facilitating the training, doing hands-on work where we're doing the work simultaneously together on our individual computers, and I'm walking staff through step-by-step to show exactly how to do it.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My mom always told me when she was in the classroom, her best supervisors would come in and not tell you what to do, they would show you what to do. I took that into my practice, and so I'm the one that's facilitating the training. I'm not bringing somebody else in that you don't know. 99% of the time when I'm doing a training, it is hands-on - we are doing the work simultaneously together on our individual computers, and I am walking you through step-by-step to show exactly how to do it. My grandmother also taught me to be tough. She once told my mom when she was going through a difficult time with a RIF, 'I thought you were tougher than that.' That woke her right up, and she was able to get over it and pull herself up by the bootstraps and get her stuff together so she could get a new job. My grandmother didn't rule with an iron fist, but she was strict and tough, and she didn't play any games. She expected the same from all the women in her generational line and gave us that internal and intrinsic motivation and power to know that we could succeed at anything.