Council Rock highlights early gains from two elementary teachers-on-special-assignment

Council Rock School District officials reported Wednesday that two teacher-on-special-assignment positions funded through educational-initiatives money have increased classroom support, sped responses to discipline and family outreach, and provided additional instructional leadership.

The positions, currently placed at Bunnell Elementary School and Maureen M. Welch Elementary School, allow principals and district specialists to visit more classrooms and run MTSS (multi-tiered systems of supports) meetings without interruptions. "It's been wonderful having Hannah and Matt in our buildings. They really made a big impact," said Nicole Crawford, director of elementary education.

Why it matters: district leaders told the committee the roles address long-standing capacity limits in larger elementary buildings and complex special-education settings. The positions give principals more time for instructional leadership, let staff address issues in real time instead of days later, and create a leadership pipeline for staff interested in administrative roles.

Details and discussion: Bunnell Principal Beth Fox and Maureen M. Welch Principal Jim Baca described frequent informal classroom visits and data conversations with teachers as a "game changer." "We want to be visible. We want to be at meetings. We want to be proactive with families and support staff as much as we can," Baca said, describing the benefits to the district classroom the schools host.

Teachers on special assignment Hannah Pressman and Matthew Dickey described accelerated exposure to administrative duties and mentoring. "The experience that we've gotten is really invaluable," Pressman said, noting daily collaboration with school principals and quicker follow-up on family contacts and behavior matters.

Board questions focused on sustainability and staffing. School board member Robert (Bob) Hickey asked whether the positions should be converted into permanent, full-time roles or whether duties could be split among assistant principals. Administrators recommended continuing the roles at least another year under educational-initiative funding to collect more evidence before committing to permanent hires.

What wasn’t decided: the committee did not formalize a permanent staffing change during the meeting; administrators asked the board to consider funding the positions again so the district can evaluate outcomes over a longer period.

Next steps: district staff will continue monitoring classroom access, MTSS participation, and response times and report back to the board as the evaluation continues.