Members of the Blytheville School District’s 2019-20 Child Find Committee are (front, from left) Reyna Cunningham, Jean Cole, Shirley Byrd, (in back, from left) Patricia Smith, Renee’ Craig, Allison Turner, Christina Nicklson, Trudy Landry, Tiffany Townsend, (not pictured) Melissa Moriarty, Sarah Russell, Lisa Stovall, Julie Ponce, Joanna Mier and Tamika Harris.
By DAVID COOKE
Blytheville Schools PR Dir.
The start of the 2019-20 school year for the Blytheville School District has been quite successful and positive for everyone involved, including students, parents and teachers. Jean Cole, who heads up the district’s Child Find Committee, is expecting equally strong results as committee members begin their work.
The individuals who make up the committee may change from year to year, but the committee’s focus is constant - to find all children in the Blytheville area who may be in need of special services and can benefit from those services offered by the district.
The purpose of the committee is to ensure that all children with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services are located, identified, evaluated and provided with the free and appropriate services.
Among the work accomplished by the committee members is the distribution of pamphlets and posters promoting the schools’ special services, and how the child’s overall social and educational opportunities can be improved by taking advantage of the services.
Members of the 2019-20 Child Find Committee include Jean Cole, director of the district’s Behavior Support Services/Special Education; Reneé Craig, speech pathologist; Melissa Moriarty, speech pathologist; Shirley Byrd, social worker; Tiffany Townsend, BHS nurse; Christina Nicklson, BMS nurse; Sarah Russell, BES nurse; Trudy Landry, BPS nurse; Reyna Cunningham, Due Process/Discipline specialist; Patricia Smith, Due Process specialist and district Parent Center director; Lisa Stovall, IDEA secretary/bookkeeper; Julie Ponce, ELL tutor; Joanna Mier, ELL tutor; Allison Turner, Community Development coordinator, and Tamika Harris, parent.
Any person who knows of a child living in the Blytheville area and may benefit from the services offered by the Child Find Committee is asked to contact Cole at 762-2053.