Tanya Tacker Receives MASE Special Education Administrator of the Year Award
May 15, 2026
The Minnesota Administrators for Special Education (MASE) has named Tanya Tacker, Executive Director of Special Education for Rum River Special Education Cooperative (RRSEC), as recipient of the 2026 Special Education Administrator of the Year Award. Tacker receives this award for her dedication to students with disabilities and their families, and her active involvement in professional and community affairs. She will be honored at a statewide recognition ceremony during the MASE Fall Leadership Conference in Brainerd on October 22, 2026.
“As Executive Director, Tanya leads six member districts in meeting the educational needs of all students through collaborative staffing, consultation, and program development that supports more than 9,000 students across her member districts, including more than 2,000 students with disabilities. Her leadership combines strategic vision with practical execution, ensuring that students receive high-quality services despite significant workforce pressures,” wrote Melissa Hanson, Executive Director for Meeker and Wright Special Education Cooperative, in her letter of support. “She recently spearheaded a major federal setting IV building project on behalf of the cooperative, leading a complex, multi-district effort to secure funding and consensus.”
Tacker has served as Executive Director at RRSEC since 2017. Prior to that, she served as Non-Administrative Special Education Coordinator at RRSEC for four years. She has also served as adjunct faculty at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and as a Special Education Teacher/Reading Specialist.
Tacker has been a dedicated member of MASE since 2013, currently serving as a member of the Legislative Committee and as President of the Board of Directors of MNSELF, a 501(c)3 foundation that supports MASE and individuals involved in special education. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators as the Greater Minnesota representative for special education leaders, ensuring the needs of students with disabilities remain central in statewide conversations.
Beyond MASE, Tacker’s leadership includes serving on the board of the Central Minnesota Educational Research and Development Council. As a Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Professional Developer since 2011, she has trained educators to integrate evidence-based instructional strategies that lead to stronger outcomes for students with disabilities.
Tacker earned a Sixth Year Program in Educational Administration and Leadership from St. Cloud State University; her Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis in Reading Literacy from St. Cloud State University; her Bachelor of Science in Special Education from St. Cloud State University; and an Associate of Arts from Normandale Community College. She is licensed as a District Superintendent, Director of Special Education, K-12 Principal, Strategic Instruction Model Professional Developer, K-12 Reading Specialist, and Specific Learning Disabilities.
MASE is a professional association organized to promote programs and services to improve the education of children with disabilities, to foster high quality programs of professional development, and to study problems relating to serving children with disabilities and improving the leadership of administrators for special education. MASE members are administrators for special education in public or private schools, cooperative regional, state and other education administrative units, college and university professors of special education teacher or administrator preparation programs, and administrators, coordinators or consultants for the Minnesota Department of Education.