Welcome to the Office of Special Education!
The Office of Special Education is responsible for the development, coordination and supervision of programming for students with disabilities. Rush-Henrietta offers a variety of services and programs to meet the individual needs of all students. We are committed to providing a full continuum of services that support the unique needs of each student.
All children with special needs in Rush-Henrietta will have access to the general education curriculum to the fullest extent possible in an inclusive environment. The district provides a range of programs and services within the school district to meet the needs of students with disabilities. The first consideration is educating our students with disabilities in general education in their home school. The district also offers special education programming within the district to meet the unique needs of students who require specialized programs as outline on the Individual Education Program (IEP).
CSE meetings are held in the school buildings for students who attend in-district programs. This includes full CSE and sub-CSE meetings for initial reviews, annual reviews, reevaluation meetings and requested reviews.
Mission Statement
The Rush-Henrietta Special Education Department supports the district’s mission to “prepare every student for responsible citizenship, life-long learning, and college or career success.” Students who qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) require additional supports in order to have equal access to the curriculum and learning environment. Our special education staff and related service providers work to support all students with disabilities achieve mastery of the New York State Learning Standards, to graduate on a timely basis and with the knowledge and skills required to live independent and productive lives. To this end, we have dedicated ourselves to providing high-quality instruction and resources, along with a full continuum of special education services.
The office is staffed with the following professionals:
Melanie Stevenson, Director of Special Education
585-359-7931 or mstevenson@rhnet.org
Michelle Webb, Secretary
585-359-7931 or mwebb@rhnet.org
David Patt, Coordinator of Special Education (Grades 7-12)
585-359-7924 or dpatt@rhnet.org
Karen Dickson, Secretary
585-359-7924 or kdickson@rhnet.org
Jennifer Cardinale, Coordinator of Special Education (CPSE/Grades K-6)
585-359-7925 or jcardinale@rhnet.org
Deborah Wood, CPSE Secretary
585-359-7920 or dwood@rhnet.org
Sarah Driscoll, Secretary
585-359-7926 or sdriscoll@rhnet.org
Janey Harper, Data Analyst/STAC
585-359-7928, mharper@rhnet.org
Donna Dehmler, Data Analyst/Medicaid
585-359-7921 or ddehmler@rhnet.org
Christopher Maley, Behavior Specialist
585-359-7929 or cmaley@rhnet.org
Heather Giles, Behavior Specialist
585-359-7934 or hgiles@rhnet.org
