Robert Felton

While working with the Montgomery County School system for thirty years, Robert Felton has been a teacher of students with learning disabilities, mental retardation, and emotional disturbance. He was the county's first coordinator for students with cognitive disabilities.

In the role as coordinator, Mr. Felton was an important player in working with various organizations and companies in establishing integrated worksites for students with developmental delays. He worked to extend the transition process beyond the world of work to develop resources that would allow individuals with developmental delays to have a safe, stable home in which to live; to have access to a variety of places to engage in meaningful activities; to have a social network of meaningful relationships; and to have a level of personal choice that enhanced the quality of their lives that would allow them to be safe and healthy.

Following his role as coordinator he became Supervisor of special education. During this time, he was noted for his strong efforts to advocate for the inclusion of students with a variety of disabilities in their home school, in general education classrooms, with appropriate supports.

Since retirement, Mr. Felton has been President of Pathways to Learning, an organization focused on teaching to the brain and promoting the transition of students with developmental delays into the world of adulthood. He conducts workshops on teaching with an emphasis on using movement, breath and touch to help focus the attention of the brain for teachers working with students with special needs in pre-school. In addition, he conducts training sessions for school staff on creating an inclusive school culture to address the needs of diverse learners.

Mr. Felton holds a BA in English from Elon University. He has a Masters in Special Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and Advanced Certification in Special Education Administration and Supervision from Virginia Tech University. He is certified as a special education administrator and supervisor, a special education teacher K-12 and a general education teacher of English in Maryland.