About

Our Mission & Services

Mission Statement
North Star Special Education Consulting partners with state educational agencies to strengthen IDEA dispute resolution systems through clarity, collaboration, and compliance. We are dedicated to ensuring that every process—from complaint investigation to system design—supports fair, timely, and defensible outcomes for students, families, and schools.

Services Overview
Our work includes neutral complaint investigation, process and system design, training, and technical assistance. With deep experience in state-level implementation, we help agencies build sustainable, compliant systems that reflect both federal requirements and the unique frameworks of individual states.

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Meet the Team

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Founder

Heidi Kleinman is a nationally recognized consultant specializing in IDEA dispute resolution, complaint investigation, and process design. With over 25 years of experience in special education and behavioral health, she has led major system improvements in compliance, training, and dispute resolution at both the state and national levels.

As the former Assistant Director of Dispute Resolution for Ohio's Department of Education and Workforce Development, Heidi oversaw the state’s IDEA complaint, mediation, and facilitation systems and guided reforms in restraint and seclusion policy. She now provides consulting, training, and investigation services to state educational agencies, in Nebraska and New Hampshire, and partners on projects with CADRE and the University of Cincinnati.

Her work reflects a commitment to clarity, fairness, and continuous improvement in IDEA implementation.

Director of Data Systems

Michael McDevitt is a data and systems specialist with more than ten years of experience supporting special education and behavioral health programs through advanced data analysis and process improvement. He previously served as a Program Administrator with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, where he managed statewide special education complaint data and led enhancements to dispute resolution systems.His work integrates dispute resolution data with statewide restraint and seclusion reporting to support policy development, compliance monitoring, and continuous improvement.

In this role, Michael also coordinated statewide restraint and seclusion data collection, working with vendors and agency leadership to refine data tools, analyze trends, and support annual reporting and rule revision efforts. He now supports agencies by designing data-driven tools and processes that promote accuracy, transparency, and continuous improvement.