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CONTACT ORISS STAFF

Office of Religious and Independent School Support (ORISS)  

Email: ORISS@nysed.gov

New York State Education Department
Room 1074 EBA
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234

Main Line/Program Phone: (518) 473-8202          Fiscal Phone: (518) 474-3936        Fax: (518) 474-9200

 

ORISS Leadership
Name Title
Jeffrey Matteson Senior Deputy Commissioner for Education Policy
Giovanni Virgiglio           Executive Coordinator
Althea Johnson Director

 

ORISS Program Team
Name Title
Nicole Henderson Supervisor of Education Programs
Donna Bekkering Associate in Education Improvement Services
Druid Cohen Associate in Education Improvement Services
Denise Corbett Associate in Education Improvement Services
 Deborah (Debby) Pelkey Associate in Education Improvement Services
Justin Covell  Assistant in Education Improvement Services
E. Craig Howell Assistant in Education Improvement Services
James Manton Assistant in Education Improvement Services
Lara Vazquetelles Assistant in Education Improvement Services

 

ORISS Fiscal Team
Name Title
Alisha Hennet Supervisor in School Business Management
Amanda Kaczmarek Associate in School Business Management
Nicole Madlin Assistant in Education Improvement Services
Heather Zogas Education Finance Specialist

 

ORISS Program Areas

ORISS Operational Areas

Email

Responsible Program Team

BEDS Code Applications

ORISS

All program associates

Child Abuse Prevention Training

ORISS

Nicole Henderson

Closing a School

ORISS

All program staff

Commissioner’s Consents

ORISS

All program associates

Fire Safety Inspection Reports

Fire Safety

Donna Bekkering

E. Craig Howell

High School Registration

ORISS

All program staff

Home Instruction

Home Instruction

Druid Cohen

Lara Vazquetelles

Petitions

ORISS

All program staff

Religious and Independent School Educator (RISE) Conference

ORISS

Denise Corbett

Substantial Equivalency

SE Support

All program staff

Professional Development Resource Centers (PDRCs)

ORISS

Denise Corbett
Heather Zogas

Webpage Updates

ORISS

Nicole Henderson

Nicole Madlin

Ombudsman (issues between school districts & religious/independent schools)

OMBUDSMAN

Christina Coughlin

Nicole Henderson

ORISS Fiscal Areas

ORISS Operational Areas

Email

Responsible Fiscal Team

Academic Intervention for Nonpublic Schools (AIS) Grant

AIS

Heather Zogas

Art & Music Teacher Salary (AMTS) Grant

AMTS

Heather Zogas

Mandated Services Aid (MSA)/Comprehensive Attendance Policy (CAP) Grant

MSA/CAP

Amanda Kaczmarek

Nicole Madlin

Mathematics, Science, & Technology Teachers in Religious & Independent Schools (MST) Grant

MST

Heather Zogas

Nonpublic School Safety Equipment (NPSE) Grant

NPSE

Heather Zogas