Sandwich Special Education Gets Special Attention

February 3, 2010

SANDWICH — The Sandwich School Department is developing a set of qualifications for its next director of special education.

The special education parent advisory council met with Superintendent Mary Ellen Johnson last week to discuss those qualifications.

Johnson hired interim director Merle Montani last June after former director Hank Perrin left the district. Perrin accepted a job as director of the South Coast Educational Collaborative in Swansea.

Johnson plans to hire the new director by the end of March and will assign Montani to work with them prior to the termination of her contract on June 30.

Johnson said the district has $110,000 budgeted for the position but that it may have to pay more to get a quality director.

“If we have to pay a little more then we could fund that through a grant,” she said.

The district has advertised for the position in the Boston Globe and in the national publication Education Weekly. Johnson will accept applications until Feb. 22.

The director oversees the entire special education department and monitors the more than 600 students in the district that are on individualized education programs (IEP). An IEP is a set of goals determined by teachers, parents, and administrators for special education students each year.

Johnson has also budgeted a $473,988 in special education funding this year to hire a coordinator of special education and two new secretaries for that office.

The coordinator will work directly under the special education director and share some of the director’s responsibilities. Johnson said the coordinator would also be available to work with parents.

At last w eek’s meeting, parent Marie Kangas said parents interact better with teachers, not the coordinator.

“I would rather work directly with the special education teacher to find out what’s going on in that classroom,” she said.

Johnson said parents should discuss concerns with the teacher first but that the coordinator provides another level of accountablity. She said the director and coordinator will take a “big picture” perspective to the department.

“Their real job is to develop quality programs and hire quality people,” she said.

Sandwich Selectwoman Linell Grundman said the coordinator would bring additional expertise to the special education department.

Special Education PAC co-director Ellen Guerin said the new director should have experience developing new programs in other district.

Sandwich developed the Spinnaker Program at the Henry T. Wing School this year for students with autism and other language disabilities. There are 13 students in that program.

“We have a firm commitment from myself and other people in the district to make that program successful,” Johnson said.

Johnson is also developing a program with Camp Burgess for special education students in grades 7 through 11.

The district would lease a classroom at the camp and collaborate with Camp Burgess instructors on outdoor education programs.

“A program like that can really help children develop their self esteem,” Johnson said.

She will host an informational meeting about the program for parents in March.

Johnson said the new special education director would preferably have teaching and administrative experience and a “firm commitment to inclusion.”

<p&gt ;This marks the first year that special education students are in every classroom in the district. Prior to this year, special ed student were only included in one or two classrooms per grade.

Parent Judy Coleman said transition between Montani and the new director needs to be as smooth as possible and that parents weren’t sure who to call with concerns when Perrin left the district.

Another parent, Tom Phillips, said the new director needs to be a strong communicator, both with the administrative staff and the public.

He said parents of special education students are closely involved with their child’s education.

“The days of putting [a line item] on your budget and everyone letting that person do their job and hoping all turns out well are gone. The circuit breaker [funding] is not getting any better and its’ everybody’s problem,” Phillips said.

Johnson is also working to establish a screening committee consisting of parents, teachers, and administrators, to help select the new director.