Senator Susan Collins journeyed back to her home turf of Aroostook County recently and visited the Aroostook County Action Program Early Care and Education Center at Gouldville in Presque Isle. While there, the Senator read a story to children in the Head Start/Child Development Services (CDS) Collaboration Classroom and played with toddlers in Early Head Start.
A collaborative classroom integrates children with disabilities who have an Individual Education Plan and typically developing children. There are many model classrooms in Aroostook County; two in Presque Isle, two in Caribou and one in Houlton.
While the children were enthralled with the Senator reading a story, the Senator herself was amazed at the children’s attentiveness and engagement which showed their personal growth in this collaborative classroom since September.
Collaborative classrooms exist in many other parts of the state of Maine as well. CDS has collaborative classrooms in Penobscot, Piscataquis, and York Counties. As well, in addition to Head Start, CDS partners with many public schools in every county to insure Educational Technicians are staffed when additional student support for students with IEPs is needed in pre-K classrooms along with the provision of special education and related services.
For more information about collaborative classrooms and Early Childhood Special Education, visit here or contact the State Director of Early Childhood Special Education Cindy Brown at cindy.brown@maine.gov.