After two and a half years as an assistant principal at K-Park, Jamie Deborde has taken a new position working with the school’s special education program as the new Academic Lead Teacher.

“I wanted to spend more time at home with my kids,” Deborde said. “Being an AP means a lot of time away from my family.”

The job of an AP often includes being at the school on weekends and late at night as well. Dances, sporting events and art events all require an AP’s supervision and these events are often at night.

Deborde’s replacement is Tiffany Major, who worked as a diagnostician at K-Park before taking her AP role. Deborde feels Major is a very suitable replacement and says that the students here are in good hands.

“Ms. Deborde will be missed but Ms. Major will do a great job supporting our student body,” said sophomore Stuart Hebert, who has worked with both ladies through Student Council.

“She will have a passion for the job and loves the kids as much as I do,” Deborde said.

Major says it has been a dream of hers to take an administrative position at a high school. The best part of her job is meeting the students and being involved in extracurricular activities.

“I wanted more leadership and to be more involved in the culture has always been something I wanted,” Major said.

Deborde said her transition has been smooth into her new job mentoring special education students and loves working with the special education department.

“Every day I feel great about coming to work and it makes me smile to be working in this hallway and working with these students,” Deborde said.

The special education program is quite integrated into the K-Park culture and the students who are in the program are active in school events.

“The enormous support of this program and Best Buddies is something that makes K-Park very special and it’s not something you see at every school,” Deborde said.

The inclusive general education population of K-Park is one of the things that drew Deborde to the school. She believes that special education students are equal to every other student in the school population.

“Every student has a struggle, and barrier to overcome,” she said. “These special education students just need someone to support them.”