Students benefiting from time with special education teachers

Teachers in special education have been working this summer to confirm their students continue positive study habits.

Dr. Maria Kilgore, special education director for Madison City Schools, said summer school is important. The study “is required for many students who demonstrated regression of skills over time periods without services,” she said. By attending, children maintain and can demonstrate the skills with some “re-teaching” when school starts.

These teachers are certified in special education with at least a bachelor’s degree … many with master’s or specialist degrees, Kilgore said.

Sylvia Lambert has been lead teacher at Bob Jones High School, where she worked with summer school students. Lambert is transferring to James Clemens High School.

Laurie Viers teaches a developmental delay (DD) class at Liberty Middle School and has been lead teacher for summer school for four years. Viers works with grades 7-12.

Deana Aumalis works as lead preschool teacher at Mill Creek Elementary School and teaches the DD class. Natalie Lane teaches DD classes at Liberty and Mill Creek.

Also at Mill Creek, Jennifer DeAngelis teachers a preschool class. Amy Williams works with students with hearing impairment and teaches an inclusion class.

Reba Harriman teaches an inclusion special education class with social skills at the Madison Elementary Alternative School. Krystine Roberts and Lisa Dutton are ‘floating teachers’ at Bob Jones, Madison and Mill Creek.

Assisting and observing, several student interns participate from Athens State University, Alabama A&M University, some interning in speech pathology. About five aides help the teachers. A nurse, speech pathologist and occupational and physical therapists work with students. Approximately 15 Madison students volunteer.

In closing the summer work, Mill Creek observed “Safety Week” with speakers Stacey Harraway with Madison Fire and Rescue Department and Lt. John Stringer with Madison Police Department. At their final program, students shared songs and activities with their families.

“We also enjoyed a visit from our favorite pizza maker, Joe from Famous Joe’s Pizza,” Lambert said. Secondary students visited Domino’s on Jeff Road to make pizza.

Recently, Alison Schug, James Cooley and Devon Albright were hired as special education teachers.