Nadine Macklin Named Elementary Special Ed Supervisor for Milford School District
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MILFORD – The Milford Public Schools is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Nadine Macklin to the position of Special Education Elementary Supervisor for the district. Mrs. Macklin has built her 22-year professional career with experience at every level of educational practice in special education: teacher, coach, compliance, and district-level administrator. Mrs. Macklin will fill the position of retiring Andrea Giannattasio and is expected to begin her post in Milford on July 1, 2024.
Macklin earned her Bachelor of Science degree in English and education from the University of Connecticut in 2001. She immediately followed her undergrad work with a Master of Arts degree in special education, also from UCONN, only one year later. A firm believer in lifelong learning, Macklin later earned her Intermediate Administrator Certification in educational leadership (092) from Sacred Heart University in 2010.
Macklin began her career as a special education teacher and inclusion facilitator in the Stamford Public School district in 2002. It was a role that provided her with deep experience in special education for the next eight years. Working with students having moderate to severe disabilities, Macklin could be seen as the ‘bridge’ – collaborating with the regular education teacher in the classroom, the para-educators involved with the students, and the parents. Her work included the development of curricular modifications, accommodations, and strategies for her students, as well as following through with documentation, evaluations, IEP development, and recordkeeping.
In 2010, the Stamford Public Schools promoted Macklin to the role of individual learning needs coach, a position requiring her to go deep into the data portion of special education. She collected, analyzed, and presented student data and achievement to teachers, along with conducting classroom observations and providing feedback to teachers with regard to a student’s intervention plan. While in this role, Macklin served on the school data team and used her expertise to support the school improvement plan. She placed a high priority on monitoring student progress and advised her partners on implementing informed decisions on continued student improvement.
After serving in this role, Macklin was, once again, promoted to the role of Elementary IEP Compliance for Stamford where she was able to hone in on the special needs of children at the elementary level for the next three years of her career. In this capacity, Macklin became deeply involved in the federal requirements revolving around the requirements connected to special education delivery. She was responsible for scheduling and attending all PPT meetings held at five schools in the district, as well as creating a strong parent-school support system for students in need. Well versed in IEP Direct, a national tracking system for students with special needs, Macklin helped fellow teachers, administrators, district administrators and attorneys in navigating the system. During her last three years in Stamford, Macklin also served as the Extended School Year Head Teacher during the summer sessions there from 2014-2016.
In 2016, Macklin decided to make a change and accepted the role of Supervisor of Pupil Personnel Service (PPS) in the Groton Public School district. For the past eight years, Macklin has served Groton students with special needs using her expertise in the educational arena. While in Groton, she supervised the nine preschool/pre-kindergarten classrooms in the district, supervising and evaluating the special education and related staff there. She served as the Superintendent’s liaison and co-chair of the education work group for the local School Readiness Council, and was deeply involved in the transfer of students needing special education outplacement to private programming. While leading the PPS department in all issues related to early childhood education, Macklin spearheaded the district’s work for NAEYC accreditation (National Association for the Education of Young Children). For the past eight years, Macklin has been celebrated as being a driving force in the successful implementations of education for students with special needs.
Upon learning of her new appointment in Milford, Mrs. Macklin was honored and humbled to join the Milford Public Schools team. “I’m excited to join the Milford Public Schools leadership team and as I step into this role, I hope to make meaningful connections with staff, students and families. I’m looking forward to gaining valuable insight from Jen Stewart’s (PPS Director) leadership and hope to add value by making contributions to the innovative educational initiatives in place.”
Dr. Anna Cutaia, Superintendent of Schools, commented, “Nadine’s student-centered approach will continue the work of our Pupil Personnel Services department where we prioritize coming together as a team - teachers, service providers and parents - to ensure the success of all learners. Mrs. Macklin’s experiences and positive, supportive disposition will align with our district’s focus on the Vision of the Learner, High Quality Instruction, the Developmental Relationships Framework, and the MPS Equity Framework.”
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