Joanne Mabbott, who directed Portland Public Schools’ troubled special education program for two and a half years before being diverted to other work in the school district, has accepted a similar job in Hermiston.

According to the Hermiston Herald, Mabbott was selected from a large pool of applicants to become director of special programs for that 5,000-student school district.

Portland has had frequent turnover in its special education director’s position, currently held by Mabbott’s former assistant director, Jennifer Jackson, on an interim basis. District leaders have said they plan to name a permanent director this summer.

During the past school year, Mabbott agreed mid-year to step aside from the director’s position to accept an interim principalship at Maplewood Elementary for the rest of the year.

Before Mabbott took the district’s top special education job, the position was held for nearly three years by Mary Mertz, who was selected by former Superintendent Vicki Phillips and was unpopular with many special education parents. Under Superintendent Carole Smith, Mertz left to work for online Insight Schools; Mertz was hired last month to head special programs in Reynold school district.

Prior to Mertz, Portland’s special education department was headed for two years by Michael Remus, who pushed hard for special education students to be placed in regular schools and mainstreamed into regular classrooms.

Portland’s special education system has been subjected to frequent changes.

Chief Academic Officer Carla Randall and Jackson, the interim special ed director, recently told the school board that special education students in Portland are being shortchanged.

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