Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative Shares Benefits of Working at Collaborative

DARTMOUTH — The Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative (SMEC) wishes to highlight the benefits of working for the collaborative.

Unlike many other public schools, classes at SMEC are small. The average SMEC class consists of six to eight students. Due to the small class sizes and a 1 to 3 staff-to-student ratio, staff can provide personalized attention to students to better meet their specific needs. 

“Collaboratives allow you to teach creatively. We teach in a way that is flexible and matches each child’s specific needs,” said Lindsay Best-Greenspan, a middle school teacher and team lead of the autism programs. Best-Greenspan has worked at SMEC for the last 15 years. 

SMEC educators make it a priority to get out in the community with their students. Students practice activities in class and then implement what they learned in the real world, like making a purchase at a store, ordering at a restaurant or riding public transportation.

“It speaks for itself how long many of the staff have worked here,” Best-Greenspan said. “I have so much fun every single day and have truly become a family with my colleagues.”

Teachers are supported by a strong team that includes occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, physical therapists, school adjustment counselors and behavior specialists. 

“The support here is next level. There is always someone we can reach out to for support whether that is a colleague or a supervisor, and all our staff recognize the importance of collaboration with peers,” said Lori Valiquette, a high school teacher who has worked at SMEC for the last 10 years.

SMEC also puts an emphasis on professional development to ensure that all staff develop expertise in areas such as CPR/first aid,social-emotional support, de-escalation, assistive technology and more. All staff participates in ongoing trainings, not just the teachers. On average, staff participate in professional development activities at least monthly.

“We are constantly having trainings and team conversations, which helps makes us better educators for our students,” said Board Certified Behavioral Analyst Kristin Rego, who has worked at SMEC for the last seven years. 

SMEC is currently hiring teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists, drivers, direct care staff and job coaches. To learn more about jobs at SMEC, click here. 

“We have acquired new space to expand our programs and are looking for a diverse group of professionals to join our team,” said Catherine Cooper, Executive Director of SMEC.

SMEC is a public educational agency and all staff are required to have the same credentials as district public school teachers. Teachers and staff are eligible to participate in the relevant Massachusetts teacher or state public retirement systems. SMEC operates on a typical school year schedule with a part-time summer component.

About SMEC

The Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative (SMEC) is a public education collaborative established in 1975. SMEC is an extension of nine public school systems, which make up its membership. The present membership includes the Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Rochester and Old Rochester Regional public school districts. SMEC accepts students for enrollment in its programs from school systems throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. The Collaborative’s programs and services are locally based and locally directed and are designed to supplement the special education resources of its member districts.

SMEC offers a variety of services for students with special needs aged 4-21 as well as adults with developmental disabilities.