Special ed specialists Two specialists who were hired last year to help the Department of Education shape its new special-education services and autism programs are leaving.
leave posts
The superintendent does not
believe the 2 departures will
hurt Felix complianceBy Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.comThe departures of autism educational specialist Laurie Sperry and school-based behavioral health specialist Richard Hess come as the department is in the home stretch of working toward complying with the Felix consent decree, the federal mandate to improve special education.
Hess's resignation is effective Friday, and Sperry will be leaving June 3.
State schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto said she does not believe their departure will hamper the department's efforts as it approaches a June 10 hearing when U.S. District Judge David Ezra will determine if the state is in substantial compliance with the decree.
"We're looking at this particular time as a test for the department to be able to weather impacts of this kind ... whether the department is able to sustain its ability to continue the course," Hamamoto said.
Hess, a psychologist and former junior high school science teacher, has spent 32 years working with children including as a consultant with the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Hamamoto said that Hess will return to the mainland.
"Dr. Hess loves Hawaii, enjoys working with the children of Hawaii, but there are personal reasons which are a priority for him right now," Hamamoto said.
The DOE took over responsibility last year for mental health and educational services at the schools from the Department of Health.
"Dr. Hess came on, and his first and primary function was to create a system of care reflective of the comprehensive student support system that has an array of services to help students," Hamamoto said.
Hess implemented a plan for contracted mental health services and the overall structure for additional staffing.
"We had the pieces of the puzzle, and we knew what we wanted the picture to look like, and he helped us put the puzzle together," Hamamoto said.
Sperry was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill psychiatry department's Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children Division. She has been in the autism field for more than 20 years.
Hamamoto said that Sperry helped build the autism plan from scratch as the department prepares for the July 1 transition of responsibility for autism services from the Health Department.
"We did not know what kind of program we wanted," Hamamoto said. "She helped us focus on what autism was about, best practices, recommendations to help, how do we create a program that reflects education so that these children will benefit."
Sperry said her job is mainly administrative, and she would like to work more in the field. Sperry said she has proposed that her role be "redefined" with the department, although no decision has been made.
Hamamoto said that the department is looking to hire people to fill both positions.
State Department of Education
