Overview
One of the greatest challenges for rural school districts is bigger than knowing just what needs to be done; it’s finding the capacity to do it well and do it consistently across multiple buildings.
In Fairfield Community School District, an innovative partnership with the Area Education Agency (AEA) helped address that challenge. By embedding an experienced AEA Special Education Facilitator into the district's support structure, Fairfield expanded its leadership capacity, increased support for special education staff, and created conditions that have helped retain educators during a time when special education staffing remains a significant challenge.
Challenge: Leading Four Buildings With Growing Needs
Like many district leaders, Angela Jones serves in multiple roles. In addition to leading Pence Elementary as building principal, she oversees special education services across three additional district buildings in the Fairfield Community School District.
The demands related to her positions are significant.
Special education compliance, teacher coaching, IEP oversight, parent communication, staff development, and daily building leadership all compete for the same limited hours. As Jones explained, "Any one of those things can monopolize a whole day. You're trying to manage a general education problem, a behavior issue, or a parent concern. It's nice knowing that ongoing support is always going to be there for our teachers when some of these other challenges need my attention."
Solution: An AEA Facilitator as an Extension of Leadership
To address these needs, Fairfield partnered with the AEA to bring in an experienced special education facilitator one day each week. Amber Earnest, Great Prairie AEA Special Education and Math Consultant, serves as a facilitator and operates as an extension of district leadership.
In Fairfield, Earnest’s role includes:
- Supporting special education teachers across all buildings.
- Assisting with IEP development and implementation.
- Helping teachers navigate complex student situations.
- Monitoring compliance requirements and timelines.
- Providing coaching and mentoring.
- Acting as an ongoing thought partner for district leadership.
Jones describes Earnest's impact as providing an additional "everyday lens" on district operations. "I'm not able to see what's happening in every classroom every day. It's nice knowing somebody else is out there in the buildings."
“Amber is always going to show up, and she never comes unprepared. That trust has been built with me, and our teachers see that as well. They know that she's going to come and support them to the best of her capacity. And if she doesn't know the answer, she's gonna find the answer,” Jones shared.
The partnership has become an essential extension of the district's leadership team. "I don't have the capacity to be at each of the buildings every day,” she shared. “That would not be fair to my building, and that wouldn't keep any of the buildings supported if I did."
Extending Leadership Capacity
One of the most important outcomes of the partnership with the AEA has been the district's ability to extend leadership support across all four of its buildings. Because the facilitator spends time in classrooms and works directly with teachers, district leaders gain visibility they otherwise would not have. The facilitator helps identify concerns early, monitor implementation, and provide immediate assistance when teachers need support.
Jones points to the value of having someone whose sole focus is helping teachers succeed. "Amber’s here to provide teacher support. Other things get into my everyday work, and take my time away from what I had previously scheduled, but those things don't get in the way of her day because she’s embedded with our staff in our district but removed from some of those daily responsibilities."
The facilitator provides practical support that administrators often do not have time to deliver. Examples Earnest noted include:
- Helping teachers write their first IEPs.
- Organizing systems for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI).
- Developing progress monitoring plans.
- Working with staff as a thought partner when addressing challenging student cases.
- Reviewing compliance reports and timelines.
As Jones explains, "It's having a thinking partner."
The result is freeing district leaders to focus on broader responsibilities while teachers continue receiving timely support.
Angela Jones, Pence Elementary Principal / FCSD Special Education Director, and Amber Earnest, Great Prairie AEA Special Education and Math Consultant.
Teacher Support Drives Special Education Teacher Retention
A secondary but highly significant impact has been improved retention and development of special education staff.
Like many districts, Fairfield has experienced turnover among special education teachers and has hired several educators who were either new to special education or transitioning from general education roles. The AEA facilitator has become an important part of helping those educators feel supported and successful.
Jones specifically notes that some teachers who previously taught general education have transitioned into special education positions within the district. These teachers receive support through coaching, mentorship, problem-solving assistance, compliance guidance and specific situational IEP support.
Rather than facing difficult situations alone, teachers have direct access to an experienced specialist who can help them navigate challenges. Earnest believes that support directly correlates to retention. "I want to make sure that their new teachers are supported because they've got good ones. I want them to be able to keep them so that we can keep building instead of having to start over all the time."
The consistency provided by the facilitator has created a stronger support system for educators across the district. "I think that having the extra support is helping build a better system for Fairfield because it’s helped create additional consistency,” said Earnest. “And they know they've got the support that they need."
As Jones summarizes: "Doing what's easy is most likely not what's right for students. To do what's right for students is going to be hard and it's going to take time. And we’ve built a system of support that helps ensure we have more time to get it right.”
Leadership Lessons From the Fairfield and Great Prairie AEA Partnership
Begin with Clearly Defined Outcomes
One of the most important lessons Fairfield learned was the need to establish expectations at the beginning of the partnership. Identify outcomes and areas needing immediate improvement from the start.
Communication Must Be Continuous
Throughout the partnership, schedule regular check-ins to refer back to the expected outcomes and areas of focus, assess progress, surface concerns early, and adjust support as needed.
Support Should Be Embedded
Teachers benefit most from support that occurs within their daily work. Rather than attending occasional workshops or receiving periodic evaluations, Fairfield teachers had access to immediate assistance when challenges arose.
New Teachers Need Intensive Early Support
One of the strongest themes that emerged from Fairfield's experience was the importance of supporting new special education teachers. New teachers often struggle because they "don't know what they don't know." Even highly capable educators may need assistance with differentiated support plans.
Have Hard Conversations With The Goal of Moving Forward Together
These conversations are easier to hold when you remember that everyone is focused on always doing what's best for kids!
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