Special Education Administrator & Trauma-Informed Leader

AMY BENSON, M.Ed.

** ******** ******, *******, ** 01915 • 978-***-**** • *************@*****.***

MA License: Special Education Administrator • MA Endorsement: SEI Administrator • MA License: Moderate Special Needs, Grades 5–12

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Special education administrator, therapeutic school leader, and instructional coach with over 15 years of experience in Massachusetts educational collaboratives, therapeutic day schools, and charter schools serving adolescents with complex behavioral, emotional, and learning profiles. Holds a Special Education Administrator License alongside an SEI Administrator Endorsement and Massachusetts educator licenses in Moderate Special Needs, ESL, and English. Deep expertise in trauma-informed practice, restorative approaches, IEP compliance and administration, teacher supervision and evaluation, and building mission-driven school culture for students with the most complex needs. Has worked in therapeutic settings where substance use is consistently an underlying factor in student presentation, and has long believed that recovery-focused programming is essential — not supplemental — to this work. Brings a personal as well as professional commitment to recovery principles, and has followed and respected the work of Recovery High School since its inception.

CORE COMPETENCIES

•Therapeutic School Leadership & Program Development

•Trauma-Informed Practice & Restorative Approaches

•Special Education Administration — IDEA, 603 CMR 28.00, IEP Compliance

•Recovery-Informed & Strength-Based Practice with Adolescents

•Staff Supervision, Coaching & Evaluation (Academic & Clinical)

•MA Recovery High School Framework & Recovery Capital

•Curriculum & Instructional Leadership — MA Frameworks, Common Core

•Crisis Response, De-escalation & Safety Care

•Transition Planning — Sending District Coordination & Student Readiness

•Professional Development Design & Facilitation

•Family & Community Partnership

•Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in Therapeutic Settings

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Special Education ELA Teacher, Inspire Academy Shore Educational Collaborative Chelsea, MA February 2025 – Present

•Provide specialized instruction and therapeutic support to high school students with emotional disabilities, trauma histories, and adverse childhood experiences in a collaborative therapeutic day school — a population in which substance use is frequently an underlying factor in behavioral and emotional presentation

•Apply trauma-informed, restorative, and recovery-informed practices daily; collaborate with an interdisciplinary team including school adjustment counselors, behavior analysts, and therapeutic staff

•Coordinate with sending school districts as part of each student's IEP team; support transition planning for students returning to their home districts

Head Teacher, Salem Prep High School Salem Public Schools Salem, MA 2018 – 2022

•Built and led Salem Prep's therapeutic program, instructional culture, and behavioral support systems for high school students with emotional disabilities and complex profiles — serving as both school leader and full-time classroom teacher

•Supervised, coached, and formally evaluated academic staff using the DESE Model Educator Evaluation system; led professional development in trauma-informed instruction, restorative practice, and therapeutic school culture

•Designed a remote onsite hybrid model during the pandemic using a UDL framework; served on the school leadership team and co-created school improvement plans

Coordinator of Specialized Instruction Salem Public Schools Salem, MA 2016 – 2018

•Coordinated specialized instruction and therapeutic programming across six sub-separate programs district-wide — including programs serving students with significant behavioral health and emotional needs — providing instructional coaching, compliance guidance, and professional development

•Designed and facilitated professional development for academic and support staff in trauma-informed practice, de-escalation, SEL, and evidence-based instructional approaches for students with complex profiles

•Led MTSS/RTI processes; supported development of tiered intervention and behavioral support systems across buildings

ELL Coordinator, Learning Specialist & ELA Teacher Salem Academy Charter School Salem, MA 2006 – 2014

•Served as Upper School Learning Specialist in Salem Academy's inaugural high school year — providing specialized instruction and IEP support to high school students with learning disabilities

•Built and led the English Language Education department; designed literacy programming for a diverse multilingual learner population; supervised an ELL instructor through the Massachusetts Educator Evaluation framework

Grade 6 Language-Based Teacher Beverly Public Schools, Beverly Middle School Beverly, MA 2005 – 2006

•Delivered specialized literacy and ELA instruction to middle school students with language-based learning disabilities; developed IEPs and maintained family partnerships

Early Literacy Tutor – Lindamood-Bell LiPS Landmark School, South Campus Prides Crossing, MA 2003 – 2005

•Delivered intensive 1:1 Tier 3 structured literacy intervention using the Lindamood-Bell LiPS program; administered and interpreted diagnostic assessments

EDUCATION

Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Concentration in Literacy

Lesley University, Cambridge, MA • 2002

Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature

Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA • 1997

LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS

•MA License: Special Education Administrator (Initial)

•MA Endorsement: SEI Administrator

•MA License: Moderate Special Needs, Grades 5–12

•MA License: English as a Second Language (ESL), Grades 5–12

•MA License: English, Grades 8–12

•MA Endorsement: Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)

•Safety Care Certified (QBS Safety Care — Positive Behavior Support & Crisis Prevention)

•Certified to Administer ACCESS for ELLs (WIDA)

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