The Bethlehem Central School District’s student support services department, which includes special education, will begin the 2024-25 school year with some new faces, and some familiar faces in new roles.
At its Sept. 4 meeting, the Bethlehem Central Board of Education appointed Douglas Morrissey as Director of Special Education.
Morrissey brings nearly three decades of counseling and administrative experience to this role. He most recently served as the Director of Pupil Personnel Services for the Cairo-Durham School District, where he oversaw all special education operations, ensuring compliance with state and federal guidelines. Committed to fostering inclusive and supportive learning environments, Morrissey has played a key role in creating educational opportunities for students with diverse needs. His initiatives include developing a district-wide system to identify and place students with special needs, creating a special education continuum of services, and establishing a district-wide central registration office to enhance service coordination and efficiency.
“I am excited and honored to join the BCSD team, ” said Morrissey. “The staff are experts in their fields. I look forward to working with them all to serve students with disabilities and the larger community.”
The Director of Education is a part of BC’s student support services department, which serves as an umbrella unit for all student-related services. In addition to special education, the department includes instructional support services, counseling, and social work for all students in grades K-12. The department has been restructured for the 2024-25 school year to add more support for special education.
Morrissey holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Mass Communications and a master’s degree in School Counseling from SUNY Plattsburgh as well as an advanced graduate certificate in Educational Analysis and Policy Studies from the University at Albany.
“Bethlehem is the premier school district in the Capital District,” said Morrissey. “Its history of excellence and service to students with disabilities led me to apply for the position earlier this summer.”
Morrissey was raised in Waterford, NY, and served in the US Navy before attending college. He lives in East Greenbush with his wife Andrea, who teaches social studies at Columbia High School, and their teenage son John. Their adult daughters, Jenna, Samantha, and Ariana, live throughout New York State. He will begin his new role at BC on Oct. 7.
As part of the 2024-25 restructuring, the Board of Education appointed Laura Rosa as Assistant Director of Special Education, and Kristen Connor as Director of Counseling and Social Work. Deborah Sharpe-Defries will serve as the Interim CSE Chairperson.