Typically at the beginning of the school year, lots of new faces are seen around the building. However, in this case, the face is a familiar one, but the position is new. Former special education teacher Tahler Novotny is stepping into the new role of student services director at Yutan.
According to Novotny, the main roles of the student services director, which is an administrative position, are aiding in compliance for special education, handling 504s and coordinating preschool matters.
“If a student doesn’t qualify for an IEP (individualized education program), then they can qualify for a 504, [which is] just accommodations in the classroom… Then I, again, just oversee making sure all the paperwork is done correctly and we’re in compliance (with the laws) of special education,” Novotny said. “If [the teachers] have questions about accommodations, questions about paperwork or any other questions, then they come to me for that support.”
In the high school, Novotny works closely with the special education team to best aid them.
“I’ve told the special education team that this is a team effort,” Novotny said. “At the beginning, I asked them for their wish list and their needs for what they want this position to be, and the number one was just support and compliance.”
Novotny’s new position is not only at the high school level, though. She is the student services director for the whole school district, so she also spends time at the elementary school.
“I try to spend a couple of days down at the elementary,” Novotny said. “With new teachers up here, I spent a little bit more time up here just training teachers, but the goal is to do some days at the elementary and some days at the high school.”
In her new role, Novotny enjoys that she can be the support that has been missing in past years.
“We really needed this position for the compliance piece and just the support of special education and 504s,” Novotny said. “So I like that I can be that support for teachers and the students and the parents.”
Although Novotny is enjoying her new role, she misses working side-by-side with the students.
“I miss working with kids. But the kids still pop in here and say hi,” Novotny said. “I still like to be in the classrooms as much as possible to still interact with the kids and go to the games to interact with kids.”
Because student services director is a new position this year, it falls on Novotny to develop the role and set it up for success in the coming years.
“I’m hoping that as it continues to grow, that I’m able to expand it into what the teachers and the students and the parents need it to be,” Novotny said.
In the next few years, Novotny hopes to continue building the student services director role. As her career continues, she had planned to transition to working as a principal. However, because Novotny also enjoys her current role, her plans may change.
“I really enjoy this position. I’d like to be in this position for a while, but I think my end goal is to be a principal, but I mean, I love what I do,” Novotny said. “So it’s just kind of up in the air if I’d want to be a principal or if I want to stay in this role.”
