Dr. Elizabeth Feser, Superintendent of Schools, is pleased to announce the appointment of Carole Swift as the Director of Pupil Personnel Services (Special Education) for the Milford Public Schools. The position became vacant due to the recently announced retirement of current Director Susan Kelleher.
Ms. Swift has been an educator for more than 25 years. Her career in special education began in 1992 at Benhaven School, a private school for children with autism. Her role as a self-contained teacher changed to inclusion specialist where her work focused on successfully integrating outplaced K-12 students with complex needs back in their home school. In 1998, Ms. Swift was hired in Milford as a special education teacher at Pumpkin Delight Elementary School. Eight years later, she was asked in 2006 to serve as a Special Education Teacher Leader for the middle schools and K-12 Special Education Reading Coach. In this capacity, she worked with the teams in all three middle schools providing support in developing and implementing educational programs for students, helping teachers determine appropriate interventions, and leading professional development on successful instructional practices with specific disabilities. As the Reading Coach, Ms. Swift worked with K-12 special education teachers in developing literacy profiles on students to better determine and address their literacy needs. Ms. Swift also provided training and support to all nine elementary schools in the implementation of Response to Intervention, (RtI).
In 2010, Ms. Swift was appointed principal of Orange Avenue School the year it was reconfigured to a Pk–2 school. As the new principal, Ms. Swift worked with staff and families to create a culture wherein every child is embraced. Over the past five years Ms. Swift has supported and helped strengthen teachers in their implementation of Math Investigations and Readers and Writers Workshop, established a professional learning culture and supports for teachers – regular education and special education – to work collaboratively to improve student learning, and worked with pre-kindergarten teachers around strengthening literacy in the classrooms. Beyond serving as Orange Avenue's principal, Ms. Swift has been a leader in the district in data analysis, providing professional development for administrators in the use of data and how best to assist teachers to use data to better serve children.
Ms. Swift received her Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Connecticut State University in Special Education in 1983. She received her Master of Science degree in Special Education from SCSU, graduating with honors in 1995. Ms. Swift has also completed two 6th Year Certifications, one from the University in Bridgeport in Elementary Education in 1998 where she graduated summa cum laude, the second from SCSU in 2009 in the area of Educational Leadership, where she graduated with honors. Most recently, Ms. Swift received her advanced certificate in Executive Leadership from the University of Connecticut in July 2014.
"I am honored and excited to take on this very important role within the Milford Public Schools," Swift commented. "Having started my career as a special education teacher and having served the district in different ways over the years, I feel I am ready for this next part of my professional journey. I will, undoubtedly, miss the remarkable Orange Avenue School community and will fondly remember the many great experiences I've had working with wonderful children, involved and supportive parents, compassionate and dedicated teachers and skilled and knowledgeable administrators. In this position, I will be able to continue to do the work I love – but on a broader scale."