Sarah McGurthy
Union
Summary
Early childhood special education professional with strong foundation in special education methodologies and inclusive teaching practices. Proven ability to create supportive learning environments that focus on sensory integration strategies and social/emotional skill development to address diverse student needs.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Service Coordinator
Center for Human Services
09.2024 - Current
- Coordinate family services for Early Intervention using the First Steps model, as required by DESE.
- Facilitate communication and scheduling between clients, service providers, school districts, Children's Division, and other local agencies for effective service delivery.
- Follow family concerns to assist in creating Individualized Family Service Plans and provide other legally required paperwork and documentation.
- Organize own daily work schedule in home office to meet deadlines and satisfy timelines for paperwork and service delivery.
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Pendergast Elementary School District
07.2000 - 05.2023
- Developed individualized education plans (IEPs) and created written lesson plans for students with diverse learning needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Implemented individualized teaching strategies to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes within provided curriculum systems.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to support student progress and family involvement.
- Monitored and assessed student development and reported data using standardized state assessment, Teaching Strategies Gold.
Early Childhood Inclusion Specialist
Pendergast Elementary School District
08.2011 - 09.2015
- Developed individualized education plans (IEPs), supporting diverse student needs.
- Collaborated with general education preschool teachers, classroom therapists, and administrators to implement individualized learning plans for students with disabilities in general education classroom settings.
- Conducted assessments to identify barriers to learning and recommend appropriate interventions.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Education
Fontbonne University
St Louis, MO12-1999
Skills
- Individualized education plans
- Sensory integration techniques
- Teamwork and cooperation
- Inclusive teaching practices
- Parent-teacher collaboration
- Play-based learning
- Language development strategies
- Visual supports implementation
- Social-emotional learning
- Data collection and analysis
- Classroom management
Accomplishments
Served on the Maricopa County Superintendent Teacher Advisory Team for the 2022-2023 school year.
Collaborated to achieve and maintain National Association of Young Children (NAEYC) and Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) accreditation for Early Childhood Programs.
Served on district committee to choose early childhood assessment system.
Served as Site Director for State Daycare Licensing and Special Education Case Manager within District.
Timeline
Service Coordinator
Center for Human Services
09.2024 - Current
Early Childhood Inclusion Specialist
Pendergast Elementary School District
08.2011 - 09.2015
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Pendergast Elementary School District
07.2000 - 05.2023
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood Education
Fontbonne University