Jessica Harris is the new Director of Pupil Personnel Services in the East Greenbush Central School District.
Jessica Harris joined the East Greenbush Central School District earlier this month as the new Director of Pupil Personnel Services. In that role, she will oversee special education in all of the district’s schools, as well as health services, counseling and related services for students.
Mrs. Harris began her career in education as a teacher and school psychologist. Most recently, she served as the Director of Student Support Services at Queensbury Union Free School District. In that role, she led the Special Education Department, chaired CPSE and CSE meetings, provided oversight of the Section 504 Committee, and completed APPR observations.
Mrs. Harris has a B.S. in Education from Russell Sage College and a M.S. in Education from The College of Saint Rose. She also has Certificates of Advanced Studies in School Psychology, School Building Leadership, and School District Leadership.
We sat down with Mrs. Harris to discuss her educational background and her new role and responsibilities.
Q: How’s the job going so far?
A: It has been great. I am so appreciative of the warm welcomes I have received so far!
Q: What are some of your job duties?
A: On a day to day basis, I work with our PPS team to create and monitor student plans, communicate with staff and families, oversee purchasing, etc. Some of the “bigger picture tasks” are monitoring staffing, our budget, etc.
Q: Why did you want this job?
A: I feel very lucky to have had experiences both in and out of the Capital Region. While I loved my time at Queensbury, I was ultimately looking forward to being based back in the Capital Region. Throughout college, student teaching and school psych internships, East Greenbush has always been highly regarded for special education programming and I am excited to be a part of this team.
Q: How have your career experiences prepared you for this position?
A: I’ve had the chance to work in a variety of different settings – a residential treatment center, and both suburban and urban public schools both as a student teacher, a school psychologist, and an administrator. I feel like I have a unique skill set with having experience in different roles and settings.
Q: What do you enjoy about working in education?
A: I feel so fortunate to work in education. I grew up in a small town and the school was the heart of the community. Both of my parents are educators – my dad is a retired Earth Science Teacher and my mom is a retired School Counselor – so between their experiences and spending so much of my time at school as a kid, I knew I would end up in this field in some capacity!
Q: Have you been visiting the schools since you started in East Greenbush?
A: After today, I will have visited each school at least once! My goal is to have a schedule for building visits so that I can continue to be present. I am grateful to the principals for meeting with me and for providing building tours as part of my transition.
I think visibility is so important. It’s really easy to get locked into the office. I feel like being out in the schools really fills my cup and makes me more successful in this role.
Q: Is there anything that you’re really excited about with this new position?
A: In addition to seeing the great programming I have heard about for years in action, I am also very excited to learn more about inclusion opportunities for students with disabilities. Some of my favorite parts of my job have been partnerships with Special Olympics, creation of a Best Buddies program, etc. I’m looking forward to being a part of these activities at East Greenbush!
To learn more about the Special Education program, visit our Special Education webpage.