Special Education Department
The Special Education Department is committed to providing students with disabilities the services and supports necessary for success at Bristol-Plymouth. We utilize an inclusion model in which special education teachers and paraprofessionals collaborate closely with academic content teachers to meet students’ needs directly within the classroom. Additionally, a special education teacher consults with Career Technical Education (CTE) instructors and monitors students’ progress within their technical programs.
All of our teachers are fully licensed in Special Education, and our paraprofessionals meet the highly qualified standards set by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) is assigned to one of the teachers listed below, who serves as their case manager. In addition to teaching responsibilities, case managers oversee the development of their students’ IEPs during Team meetings and track progress each quarter.
Transition planning is an essential component of our special education program. For students age 14 and older, IEPs include goals and services designed to prepare them for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living. Case managers work with students, families, and CTE instructors to ensure that students gain the skills, certifications, and experiences needed to succeed beyond high school.
Consistent home-to-school communication is a priority of our department. Contact information for all department members is provided below.
Staff
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Amy Cohen, Special Education Coordinator, acohen@bptech.org, Ext. 114
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Joanne Symmonds, Special Education Secretary, jsymmonds@bptech.org, Ext. 427
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Kristyn Nunes, Speech Pathologist, knunes@bptech.org, Ext. 157
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Ashley Dodd, IEP Team Chairperson, adodd@bptech.org, Ext. 335
Special Education Teachers
- Erryn Bennett ebennett@bptech.org
- Nicole DeTerra ndeterra@bptech.org
- Victoria Keissling vkeissling@bptech.org
- Lindsey Lariviere llariviere@bptech.org
- Jennifer McCartin jmccartin@bptech.org
- Mari Gates mgates@bptech.org
- Gregory Pavao gpavao@bptech.org
- Amy Sears asears@bptech.org
- Amy Slavin aslavin@bptech.org
- Tarsha Veiga tveiga@bptech.org
Paraprofessionals
- Elise Abbott eabbott@bptech.org
- Julie Bariteau jbariteau@bptech.org
- Sarah Bianchi sbianchi@bptech.org
- Anna Goss agoss@bptech.org
- Tayla MacKinnon tmackinnon@bptech.org
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Kathleen Maloney kmaloney@bptech.org
- Michele Pearce mpearce@bptech.org
Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
Parent and family input is an integral part of the success of the Special Education Department at B-P. We welcome communication throughout the year and especially at IEP and SEPAC meetings. SEPAC meeting topics include: MCAS preparation and accommodations, transition services, college preparation, homework help, and motivating reluctant learners. The SEPAC acts as a resource for parents and provides opportunities for parents to share ideas with each other as well as to communicate with the district on matters related to the support of students with special needs and disabilities. Parents are able to collaborate with special education staff and administration as we plan for the future of our programs.
Meeting information will be emailed prior to each date with the agenda for the evening and specific location in the school building. For questions about the SEPAC, please contact Amy Cohen at acohen@bptech.org
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 6 p.m. Register Here
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Each meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will be offered in person and virtual. Meeting information, such as the location within the school building and the virtual meeting link, are emailed to those who register.
https://www.doe.mass.