Morgan Downey
2024 Exceptional Service Award Recipient

Teacher
May Center School for Autism and Developmental Disabilities
West Springfield, Massachusetts




Nomination:

Morgan is a standout Special Education Teacher and a proven leader across the school. She demonstrates professionalism in all her interactions. She has a calm, supportive, and kind demeanor and treats the students with respect and dignity. 

Morgan joined the West Springfield School team as an Instructor in 2021. She was soon promoted to Instructor 2, taking on additional classroom responsibilities. She then became a substitute teacher during which time she submitted exceptional MCAS-Alt portfolios. From this experience, she decided to enroll in a Teacher program and was promoted to Special Education Teacher. In this role, Morgan has implemented group Smartboard lessons and organizational systems within the classroom to keep the schedule running smoothly throughout the day. 

Her leadership and professionalism were very much in evidence when she supported a difficult student admission last year. The clinical leadership team for the organization provided additional support to this classroom, and while the timeframe was very challenging for the classroom due to the student's intensive needs, Morgan remained composed and supported the student, family, and classroom staff. 

An all-around team player, she is proficient in Safety Care and is often a first responder when others need help. She consistently shows up to support the students and coworkers with impeccable attendance. 

Morgan has a natural knack for modification and monitoring of skills that makes her a true special educator. She brings a keen sense of her student's strengths to every interaction. Her ability to effectively collaborate with parents, the Allied Health team, BCBAs, and classroom staff is evident in her students’ success. Morgan is quick to identify problems with student learning and just as quick to present potential solutions. We are so lucky to have her on our team! 

Quotes from her community:

"I admire the approach Morgan takes to training new staff; providing support while also challenging them to demonstrate their skills in a way that helps to build confidence." — Margaret Grady, Educational Administrator  

"Morgan has a knack for identifying progression of skills and training staff to promote the independence of her students." — Kalli Bonin, Director of Education

See all of the pictures from the event on our Flickr album!

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