School district restores special education position
Published 1:30 am Friday, April 17, 2026
Following a comprehensive nine-month evaluation of student needs and community feedback under Superintendent Becky Clifford’s leadership, the South Whidbey School District, or SWSD, officially announced the opening for a director of Special Education and Student Services on April 14.
Through the diligent efforts and fiscal responsibility of Paul Field, executive director of Business and Operations, the district has creatively reorganized spending to restore this full-time position for the direct benefit of students, staff and families.
The decision to hire a full-time director marks a significant milestone in the district’s commitment to enhancing its Special Education Services. The need for dedicated support was first identified over 18 months ago during the development of the District Profile for the Superintendent search. Throughout the current academic year, leadership duties were bridged by Principal Kayla Phillips, who served as both the Middle School Principal and Director of Curriculum.
“The board is grateful for Mrs. Phillips’ leadership this year,” stated Board Chair Brook Willeford. “We recognized the need for focused attention on special education during the superintendent hiring process, and we’re excited to bring someone onboard to provide that focused effort on behalf of the students who need it the most and, in doing so, support all of our students.”
The shift toward a dedicated leadership role follows a period of intense community engagement and transparency. Key milestones leading to this announcement include:
* Family Engagement: High participation at the inaugural “Coffee with Clifford” and a dedicated Special Education Family Night in November 2025 underscored the community’s desire for focused programming support.
* Board & Strategic Alignment: Following a Special Education Update in November, the School Board formally updated district and superintendent goals in December 2025 to prioritize Special Education.
* Collaborative Oversight: The newly formed Special Education Advisory Council was launched on February 5, 2026, to provide ongoing community perspective.
* External Program Review: An external review presented on March 25, 2026, provided a three-year roadmap for improvement, specifically recommending the appointment of a specialized director.
While the external program review suggested a 0.6 part-time equivalent position based on regional comparisons, South Whidbey leadership elected to post the role as a full 1.0 FTE position to ensure the highest quality of support.
“We have extremely talented staff, and need a strong, experienced candidate who can provide the necessary support, resources, and the ability to engage and respond to student, staff, and family needs,” said Superintendent Clifford. “Hiring for a 1.0 position will allow us to recruit candidates with the specific experience and expertise our district requires.”
Upon reviewing the Program Review Report, members of the Special Education Advisory Councilconfirmed critical areas for improvement within special education delivery and emphasized the vital necessity of this new leadership role. Todd Williams, a parent and SEAC member, likened the appointment to the essential stages of home construction.
“Hiring a dedicated special education director is analogous to hiring an architect and construction manager,” Williams said. “The director will establish the mission and vision, much like a drawing you see of someone’s new home.They “define the foundation’s requirements; the shape, size, and purpose of each room; and create a plan to retain expertise to maintain the house while acquiring expertise to address unaddressed needs.” This will be an exciting and challenging position laden with rewards.”
