Plainfield Public Schools Director of Special Education Marcos Bayas Honored with Ellie Byra Inclusive Education Award
Maria Torres · Union County Life
Plainfield Public Schools announced that Director of Special Education Marcos Bayas has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Ellie Byra Inclusive Education Award, presented by the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities. The award recognizes individuals whose leadership has made a lasting impact on creating more inclusive communities for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Bayas will be honored during the Community Building Awards ceremony on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at The Palace at Somerset Park. Bayas was appointed Director of Special Education in June 2026. This recognition reflects years of leadership and the impact of the Inclusion Project he introduced to Plainfield Public Schools in 2023 in partnership with ALL IN for Inclusive Education. The initiative began at Charles and Anna Booker Elementary School and has grown into a district-wide program focused on creating classrooms where students receive necessary supports while learning alongside their peers.
Under Bayas' leadership, Plainfield Public Schools has expanded professional learning around inclusive instruction, strengthened intervention systems, increased collaboration between general and special education teachers, and launched the district's first fully inclusive preschool model. The district has worked to reduce unnecessary referrals through early intervention while expanding in-district programming for students who previously attended out-of-district placements. Approximately 14 percent of Plainfield Public Schools students receive special education services, compared to the New Jersey average of 17.35 percent.
District leaders attribute this difference to a strong emphasis on early intervention. During the 2025-2026 school year, the district returned four classrooms of students from out-of-district placements to Plainfield schools and plans to add four additional classrooms during the 2026-2027 school year. Plainfield Public Schools has strengthened its partnership with the District's Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG). Acting Superintendent Elizabeth Filippatos, Ed.D., stated that Bayas' leadership has helped strengthen the district's vision for inclusive education.
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