There are 142 students in Wiscasset's special education department, which spans from the primary to the high school level. These students are supported by a staff of seven district-wide staff members, 10 special education case managers and 22 educational technicians.

The person in charge of this department is new to Wiscasset this year, Special Education Director Jessica Yates. Though she is in charge of the entire program, her office is based in Wiscasset Primary School on Gardiner Road.

“We have a continuum of service in the Wiscasset district,” Yates said. “We've created a support system that follows the student through their whole education.”

Each school has a traditional resource room available to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. They also have a special behavior program for students in K-fourth grade, which Yates describes as a “high-level support system with supervision.”

A similar program exists at the high school level, called the Aspirations Program. An additional program is the Life Skills Program for all grade levels.

“Some students from other districts who have school choice have chosen to come to Wiscasset because of all we offer our special education students,” Yates said.

Yates previously worked as an assistant special services director in RSU 13 in Rockland. Before that she worked in Medomak schools as a day treatment teacher for grades 7-8.

“I dealt with kids who had emotional or behavioral difficulties,” Yates said. “I miss it, the ability to work with kids who some people have given up on and see them overcome their difficulties. It's a great privilege and I would always attend their graduation after they moved on.”

Yates also knows that sometimes a kid needs more help than a school can provide.

“I had a student once who came from a very disadvantaged home,” Yates said. “We did everything we could — fed him, clothed him, tried to devise programs that would work for him. But nothing worked and we realized he needed something more than we could give him. He needed a different school.

“It's always sad when you can't reach a kid, but you have to do what's best for them always,” Yates said.

Yates got her undergraduate degree at Bowdoin, and got her master's in marine policy at University of Maine. Her teaching degree came from the University of Southern Maine.

“I grew up in New Harbor, with a family of lobstermen,” Yates said. “I was always passionate about marine science wanted to go into that field. After I graduated I needed a job, and ended up working as an ed tech. It didn't take me long to realize that this is what I need to do.”

As a teacher, Yates used her degree by integrating fish tanks and marine science into her lessons. She took students for field trips to the coast and taught them about the life found in tide pools.

“It's important to be passionate about what you are teaching, which includes supporting the passions of all the teachers around you. When students can tell you are excited about a subject, they pick up on that. I want to know what the teachers are passionate about. Maybe computers, or farming, whatever it is, I want to support them.”

Right now, Yates is focusing on getting settled into her new position.

“It's a blank slate since here since Wiscasset withdrew from the RSU,” Yates said. “I met with the former directors about how things were done before, and everyone's been very communicative and helpful. The people here are fantastic, and have a real devotion to the kids they teach.”

“I'm excited we look at children as individual learners, and the state standards now realize that not every student learns the same,” Yates said. “We strive for equal opportunity for all kids and to make sure we can teach in a way that reaches them.”