By Barry H. Hendrix
Carla Layton has been chosen as the new Special Education Coordinator with the Thomasville City Schools District.
She has recently served as Program Area Specialist in Special Services with the Shelby County Schools District since 2008. In that position, she supervised special education programs at the secondary level (middle schools and high schools). She addressed transition skills for students exiting high school and entering college and/or careers and collaborated with various agencies, including but not limited to Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Human Resources, and various mental health professionals.
Carla has also served as an Adjunct Instructor in Special Education at the University of Montevallo and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
She graduated from Clarke County High School in Grove Hill. She attended the University of Montevallo and earned her undergraduate and masters in Speech Pathology with a certification in Special Education.
Layton worked as a Speech Pathologist in schools and skilled nursing facilities for 10 years. She then became a special education teacher at Montevallo High School. After several years, she earned her Instructional Leader certification and EdS (Education Specialist) in administration from UAB.
Through her work in Shelby County Schools, she has experience with IEP plans (special education plans), federal 504 (equal access) plans, behavior units, and supervision of students with intellectual disabilities, emotional disabilities, particular learning disabilities and other health impairments.
The Thomasville City Schools District is known for its dedication in serving students with a variety of special needs. A Special Education Coordinator “must be aware of procedures and guidelines and put students' individual needs first,” she said. “Supporting teachers is also huge. We have got to make sure we are supporting our teachers and our paraprofessionals.
“…I’m looking forward to meeting everyone (in Thomasville) and getting their input.” Layton replaces Kathy Council, who she has known since high school. “I know it is a great system, and you have been in good hands. I just hope I can continue to make it great.”
Special education professionals become part of the student’s family as they serve their individual needs. In serving two schools for the last 16 years, “I have been able to see kids go from sixth grade to 12th grade, and then siblings and cousins come through. It is important to be able to make a connection and have a rapport with the family, and they know we are listening and they understand that we care.”
Another satisfaction in serving special needs students is seeing them interact with their peers in the classroom, she said.
Returning to Clarke County, Carla will be able to spend time with her mother, Martha Hutto. Her father Robert passed away two months ago.
Carla and her husband Lonnie have two sons, Levi, 27, who works for Alabama Power, and Micah, 23, married to Julianne, and works for Birmingham International Forest Products.