Message from the Director
The Hackettstown School District Special Education Department’s mission is to provide appropriate support services to students, faculty, staff and parents. Each year the multidisciplinary Special Services' Team develops program-based objectives aligned with the district goals to ensure that all students will be given opportunities to maximize their potential for academic success. The Special Services Department assists students by teaching them to develop the necessary skills to think critically, socialize appropriately, and become responsible citizens in their community.
The District believes in a Team-Based Approach that encourages the parent(s), children/students, teachers, Para educators, related services personnel, administrators and any other essential IEP Team members to fully participate in the educational experience of the children/students. The District believes in open communication to ensure feedback from the community stakeholders. These stable relationships translate to a successful academic experience for our students.
The District is committed to providing special education students with opportunities along a continuum of educational services that offer access to and participation in the activities in the schools and community as appropriate to the age and educational needs of the students. The District upholds the principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) as it supports the rights of students. The District believes in a collaborative process through the IEP Team. The District believes that students with disabilities must be included in any decisions regarding their individual instructional program, and these decisions must be made with the collaboration of parents who know their child and professional educators who have knowledge of instructional practices and experience in guiding students with disabilities to become both productive learners and citizens.
Across the continuum of special education services, the District serves students with one or more of the following identified disabilities:
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· Specific Learning Disability
· Communication Impairment
· Speech and Language Delay
· Emotional/Behavioral Disability
· Other Health Impairment
· Preschool Child with a Disability/Developmental Delay
· Autism |
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· Multiply Disabled
· Cognitive Impairment
· Orthopedic Impairment
· Traumatic Brain Injury
· Hearing Impairment
· Visual Impairment
· Social Maladjustment |
The District understands that when a child needs special education services, they may step into a new world of teaching methods, services, and classroom choices. Therefore, the District has created this site for parents, teachers and students. It will provide you with a basic understanding of the special education process and resources within the District.
So please take a few moments to review the site. In it you will find key information to help you navigate through the special education programs and procedures. In addition, as always, I welcome your feedback to help keep this site accurate and user friendly. If you have particular items that you would like to see added to our site, please email our Special Services Site Manager, Kimberly, kwagner@hackettstown.org.
The teachers, related service specialists, support personnel, Child Study Team members and I look forward to joining you as a partner in supporting our students/your children in realizing their personal and academic goals. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call your child's school, case manger or the Special Services Office.
Sincerely,
Christopher Conklin
Director of Special Services
