Dr. Bobbie Downs
Director
Dr. Bobbie Downs is currently the Director of the Child Study Team, Related Services, and Educational Services Unit of BCSSSD. She also facilitates the Burlington County Professional Development Institute and Burlington County School Crisis Response Team. Dr. Downs decided to pursue a career in education after serving as a teacher and administrator in a school for Sudanese refugees in Cairo, Egypt. Since that time, Dr. Downs served in the role of teacher and administrator at the Burlington County Alternative School before being named Director of the ESU. Dr. Downs received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in Teaching from Drew University. Later, Dr. Downs earned her Master’s degree in School Leadership and her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Rowan University. Dr. Downs also holds a Graduate Certificate of Autism Education. She is a certified mindfulness instructor for Mindful Schools and an instructor for Youth Mental Health First Aid. Dr. Downs is an active member of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and the Council for Exceptional Children. She also works for the Korean War Legacy Foundation and the World History Digital Education Foundation with the goal of helping educators teach more about the war and the past, present, and future development of Korea.
Michelle Robertson
Supervisor
Michelle Robertson, a Supervisor at the Educational Services Unit, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College) and a Master’s Degree followed by an Educational Specialist Degree from Rowan University. She also holds the NJDOE certifications for School Psychologist and Supervisor of Education and the National Certification for School Psychologists. Ms. Robertson began her professional career in the North Hanover School District (military population), with K-6th grade students. There, she honed her skills in case management, IEP development, counseling, and psychological testing. In 2005, Ms. Robertson joined ESU and became a case manager/school psychologist for K-12 nonpublic students across Burlington County. In this role, she also provided individual and group counseling, in-service training, behavioral consultation, and teacher/parent consultation, as well as participating on various committees and serving as a peer mentor to other staff. She remained a case manager until 2020 when she accepted a Supervisor position for the same department. Beyond her professional duties, Ms. Robertson was a member of the Burlington County School Crisis Response Team for four years, and she is currently a member of the Burlington County School Psychologist Association, New Jersey Association of School Psychologists (NJASP), and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
Brooke Decker
Supervisor
Brooke Decker is a Supervisor of Related Services and CST Services for the Educational Services Unit as well as a Supervisor of Education for Burlington County Special Services. In 2011, Ms. Decker received her bachelor’s degree from Holy Family University in Elementary and Special Education. After graduation, Ms. Decker spent seven years at Beverly City School District, where she taught a multi-grade self-contained class, multi-grade resource class and inclusion. She has taught reading, writing and math from grades K-8, which has expanded her knowledge in various grade levels. Ms. Decker has served as the Pre-Intervention and Referral Services liaison and she has served on the Curriculum Team. While teaching, Ms. Decker continued her education at Holy Family University and she earned a Master’s degree as a Reading Specialist in 2014 and Supervisor and Principal certifications in 2016. She accepted a Reading Specialist position with ESU in 2018 and then was promoted to Supervisor shortly after. In 2021, Ms. Decker is an active member of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, Kappa Delta Pi National Honors Society and Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators.
Dennis Leigh
Supervisor
Dennis Leigh is a Supervisor with the Educational Services Unit. He graduated from Rowan University with his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Geography in 2009. After teaching at the elementary level for five years, Mr. Leigh earned highly qualified status and spent the remainder of his teaching career as a middle school mathematics teacher for grades fifth through eighth. During his time as a classroom teacher, Mr. Leigh helped write a new math curriculum for the district, spearheaded school-wide instructional changes, and supported his peers in their professional growth. This leadership experience gained during his time as a math teacher lead him to further his education. He went back to Rowan where he earned his Master’s degree in Administration, as well as Principal and Supervisor certifications in 2019.