Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the ESE Director Hiring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board amends ESE director qualifications to require certification or one-year timeline to obtain it
Summary
After public comment and staff explanation, the board amended the director of Exceptional Student Education (ESE) job description to include ESE certification as an option and added language requiring new appointees either be certified in ESE or obtain certification within one year.
The Highlands County School Board amended the minimum qualifications for its director of Exceptional Student Education to emphasize ESE expertise and to require certification or a commitment to obtain certification within a year.
Carla Ball, director of human resources, told the board the change was proposed to broaden the candidate pool while ensuring candidates have relevant experience. "By adding the ESE certification, you still have teachers who are eligible as well as leaders," Ball said, describing the language as an "or" option alongside existing administration and school leadership credentials.
Several parents and advocates spoke during public comment urging a stronger ESE requirement. Camilla Garvin told the board she wanted a director with direct ESE experience: "If you have a special needs child . . . you need somebody who is going to have that experience the day they step in the office to do the job." Tina Jordan and other commenters likewise pressed for ESE background rather than purely administrative credentials.
Assistant Superintendent Melissa Blackman, who supervises the ESE director, recommended adding ESE certification as part of the qualification structure but also proposed an alternative: require new hires to receive ESE certification within a set timeframe if not already certified. "If you wanted to make sure that the individual, if they were hired and were not currently certified in ESE, you could potentially consider a number 7 that said, the applicant would receive certification in ESE within x amount of time frame," Blackman said.
After discussion the board approved an amendment that retains experience in ESE or student-services in the required section and adds a provision that a hired director must either hold ESE certification or obtain it within one year; the minutes record the amended motion and a second. The transcript does not include a detailed roll-call tally in the public record excerpt provided.
Board members and staff said the change balances the district—s need for technical ESE knowledge with practical hiring realities in a rural district where certified candidates may be limited. Staff said candidates may add the ESE endorsement by passing the state exam and requesting the certification be added to their teaching certificate.
