1. Description of the job and responsibilities
I am the program specialist for the Clayton Valley feeder pattern which includes Diablo View MS, Pine Hollow MS, Ayers, Eagle Peak, Highlands, MDE and Silverwood. I attend meetings important to the school sites in which they feel they may need district support. I work with the schools to create site-based opportunities to help special education students. I also help clarify available district programs, and interpret special education laws at team meetings. I help develop and present teacher in-service training for new teachers, for veteran teachers and for administrators each year. I also assist in finding placements for students new to the district or for students moving from one site to another by working with Program administrators on a weekly basis.
I am also the Extended School Year Coordinator. I develop the entire program: selecting sites, working with transportation on times, entering transportation data, setting up classes, enrolling students, training principals and working with personnel to hire staff.
2. What inspired you to work in this profession?
As a middle school student, I used to help my mother, a high school English teacher, correcting papers for her students and we would talk about different parts of her school day. Her enthusiasm sparked a desire to become a teacher, but I chose elementary school as my first choice, rather than high school. I landed in special education by default because when I graduated college, the only available positions were in special education. As soon as I spent a few weeks in the classroom, however, I knew this was where I was supposed to be and I have never looked back. I have worked with mentally retarded students, learning handicapped students, students multiple handicaps and gifted students and I have loved it all and always learned something from my students with each passing year.
3. What is your professional goal?
As a new teacher, for 9 years, my goal was to help my students become all they could be by learning new things and finding different ways to present information so each year was something different. Standards, benchmarks and grade level curricula were unknowns at the time. One day an administrator from a different site approached me and asked if I would like to become a resource specialist at his school. Off in a new direction I went. I worked in a low income elementary school, moved to a high income neighborhood school, moved from LA to the East Bay and worked as a middle school resource specialist. I also became very involved in activities at the site and decided I would like to be an administrator in that District and I returned to school to get my administrative credential. That was 11 years ago, and I haven’t looked back!
4. What do you like best about your job?
The best thing about my job is that no two days are the same; each day brings new activities and new challenges. I like going to work each day and wondering how the day will turn out. I am frightfully busy and my days just fly by.
5. If you could change anything about your job/services you provide, what would it be?
I miss having connections with students and I would change that if I could. As an administrator not attached to a site, I don’t get the opportunity to closely interact with students and parents anymore. So, periodically, I have to go visit classes just because…
6. Contact information: Tel and email
Sharon Krell
Program Specialist/ESY Coordinator
682-8000, 4189
348-1757 Cell