Meet Our Team
![A woman is smiling in a photo.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/5317/img_pd_212846_46rc1z.jpg)
Jaimie Goodley, Director of Special Education
Phone: 708-748-0100 x 4212
Email: jgoodley@sd162.org
![A headshot of a person smiling and looking at the camera.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/5317/img_pd_212844_vjpkl4.jpg)
Rebecca Akridge-Dixon, Assistant Director of Special Education
Phone: 708-748-0100 x 4171
Email: rdixon@sd162.org
![A headshot of a person with curly hair smiling.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/5317/img_pd_212841_y3v4gx.jpg)
Sheloanda Porche-Box, Assistant Director of Special Education
Phone: 708-748-0100 x 4121
Email: sporche@sd162.org
Description of Services
The Special Education Department at Matteson School District 162 strives to understand students as individual learners with special needs and learning styles. Through that understanding and sensitivity for special needs students, the faculty and staff work to guide the students toward academic success and self-advocacy. Special Education faculty and staff focus on teaching appropriate strategies based on individual needs of special education students. In partnership with students, family, staff, and the community, Matteson School District 162's Special Education Department promotes the educational achievement of all students.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides for a free appropriate public education for all individuals with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 22. In order to be responsive to the diverse educational needs of all students, the Special Education Department of Matteson School District 162 provides a continuum of services to be considered when determining the appropriate educational program for each student. These services are determined by the level of need of the student.
These services include:
Matteson District 162 is a member of the SPEED 802 Cooperative. Sometimes children require a level of support that cannot be met in the District, so the District partners with the programs at Speed to ensure that the needs of every child are met.
District 162 is proud to have experienced professionals on staff that specialize in the following areas:
Please contact the Special Education Department anytime for assistance or to answer any questions that you may have. Members of the Special Education Department can be reached at the District Office at 708-748-0100.
- Consultation
- Resource
- Co-taught Classrooms
- Instructional Classrooms with Inclusion
- Speech & Language Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Physical Therapists
- Psychologists
- Social Workers
- Nurses
- English Language Learners Services
- Coordination of McKinney Vento Services