News from Nancy

Good morning, all,
I'm delaying my Saturday cleaning to write this AM b/c I sense a great deal of curiosity about my job status out there. I appreciate your interest, dear family. Here's the story; it's a long one, but I'll try to condense.
I started my administrative career in 1980 with a special education cooperative (Geneva Support Services Cooperative--GSSC) in 1980. It should have been part of ESU 6 but the ESU at that time did not want to provide direct services to students. In 2001, the ESU finally responded to the Superintendents' long-standing requests that it be the governing body and we became part of ESU 6. At the same time, a new SPED Director was hired at the ESU and my nightmare began. I had never even heard the term "workplace bully" but I lived it for two years. The person hired would send emails without subjects so I never knew if when I opened it, it would be filled with messages written all in caps with multiple explanation points that were ordering, borderline threatening, sometimes sarcastic. At other times, when I had done what she had directed, she would write sickeningly sweet thank yous, again filled with explanation points.
The first thing she decided I should do is shut down the three preschools in three different counties for children with disabilities (TYKE--serving 60 children at the time). The state is responding to the federal push for children to be educated in their natural environments (community preschools) rather than school-based programs. She could not/would not understand my position that most of the towns we served had no preschools at all, so TYKE was all there was to offer to our students. Besides, I have a philosophical difference with the position that all you have to do is put disabled children in a "natural environment" and they will learn as much from their peers with a non-certificated teacher as they would from a Master's level teacher with a degree in Early Childhood Special Education. We have some non-disabled peers in TYKE, but the most important factor, in my opinion, is the skill of the teachers and paras. Anyway, we locked horns on that right away and I drug my feet to keep them open.
She also did not like the SUCCESS programs for students with moderate to severe disabilities, but did not go so far as to order me to shut them down. My position on that was it was healthier for the students to go to a regional program where they could participate in Special Olympics, get vocational training at job sites, learn functional life skills at our SUCCESS apartment and not be a group of one (usually taught by a para) in their tiny districts.
She did not treat just me like this; the people at the main office tiptoed around in fear of one of her face to face rants that were often followed in the same day with her trying to get the person to join in her very loud (some called it screeching) laughter. Needless to say, that wasn't often successful.
Her work history was long and varied, with the longest job lasting three years and the shortest six months. I held on to the hope that she would maintain that pattern and she did, leaving at the end of two years. Good thing, b/c I had many teachers who were updating their resumes, as I was doing.
I know you're wondering how she ever got hired anyplace and here's the answer: she had her doctorate, she was very attractive and well-spoken and came across as quite knowledgeable and polished in some settings (interviews, obviously :}
After she left, ESU 6 and 4 (Auburn) tried to share a SPED Director and that started my healing. Ellen Stokebrand is a delightful person who knows special education, knows how to treat people to get the most out of them, valued want I had done for the last 20+ years and we've done lots of good things together. The ESU 6 board did not like the arrangement, however, so it will end at the end of three years (now). So ESU 6 was in the market for a SPED Director and I applied b/c I knew that I could not spend the last 5-6 years of my career hunkered down trying to protect what I've worked to create for the last 26 years. I am grieving having to leave the programs and the teachers and paras I've hired, but thought I had to do it for their sake as much as mine. We've hired someone (after extensive background checks :) who will be fine.
I will move my office to Milford and be more involved in staff development across the ESU and ultimately responsible for SUCCESS and TYKE b/c I will supervise the new person.
So.........that's the story. I hope none of you ever have to experience anything like what happened to me. I did learn a lot, though--what not to do, how not to treat people, how not to act, etc. etc.
Now, must get to the cleaning. Thanks again for your interest.
Love,
Nancy