BOE Appoints Director of Special Education

The Brookfield Board of Education (BOE) appointed Charles Manos as the new Director of Special Education and Support Services at a special meeting on August 18. The administration conducted an extensive search and chose Manos over several other candidates for his "rich depth of experience in providing support services to students," according to Superintendent Anthony Bivona.

Manos brings over 26 years of relevant experience as a school psychologist and has spent the past four years as the Coordinator of Pupil Personnel Services for the Danbury Public School District.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Xavier University and a Masters in School Psychology from the University of Bridgeport.

"He'll be a great addition to our district," said Bivona. His experience "will enhance our program," which provides services to approximately 210 special needs students.

The Director of Special Education and Social Services oversees and guides all special needs services for the district, including speech and language pathology, occupational therapy and social work. The department works closely with parents to identify disabilities, develop an educational plan and provide services that will best meet each child's needs.

The position was previously held by Pauline Smith, who resigned in June after three years with Brookfield Schools to take a position with the substantially larger Norwalk Public School District. Sue Budres, the Special Education Coordinator at Center Elementary School (CES) has been serving as the interim director since early July.

Manos will join the staff on October 4.