Jane Collins

Jane M. Collins is a training specialist for the Illinois Center for Transition and Work through the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Jane’s career began in Decatur Public Schools (DPS) as a vocational teacher. Following DPS, she coordinated vocational services for transition-age students with significant disabilities in McLean County Unit 5 Schools via the Secondary Transition Experience Program (STEP). Most recently, Jane was responsible for the overall leadership, management, and operations of Unit 5’s Special Education Work Program, including opening and running Eugene Field Secondary Services, a vocational training center. Throughout her 35-year career, Jane has served on local and regional transition planning councils, state advisory councils (including STEP Advisory), and presented at numerous local, state, regional, and national conferences. She currently holds membership in The Associations for the Severely Handicapped (TASH) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Additionally, Jane was awarded the Division on Career Development and Transition’s Iva Dean Cook Teacher of the Year Award in 2009 following a collaboration with Dr. Paul Bates at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale to develop Self-Directed IEP PowerPoints for individuals with multiple disabilities.

Education

• M.S., Education, Illinois State University, 1992
• B.S., Education, Illinois State University, 1987

Licenses/Endorsements

• Professional Educator License, 1987
• Pre-Vocational Coordinator, 1988
• Secondary Career and Technical Coordinator, 1990
• Vocational Coordinator, 1990
• General Administrative Certification (Type-75), 2000
  
• Mental Retardation, 2000
• Trainable Mentally Handicapped, 2000
• Learning Disabilities, 2000
• Learning Behavior Specialist I Educator, 2001
  
• Retrained for Illinois Principal & Teacher Performance Evaluation/Student Growth, 2021