Meet our Student Support Coordinator

Alyssa Watkins| Student Support Coordinator | alyssa.watkins@apsva.us |703-228-8541

Hello! My name is Alyssa Watkins and I am Barrett’s Student Support Coordinator. While this is my first year at Barrett, it is my 29th year working for Arlington Public Schools. 27 of those years were at Long Branch Elementary School. My first 11 years I was a physical education teacher and, fun fact, I worked part time teaching PE at Barrett for two years. For the last 17 years I was a special education teacher, primarily working with students in a small group setting. I am excited to join the Barrett team.

What does the Student Support Coordinator do?

We support families by…

• Being available to meet with families after an eligibility meeting if the family still has questions or concerns regarding the process
• Communicating with families prior to meetings to explain the purpose of the meeting
• Encouraging family engagement during meetings
• Providing information to families about school, district and community resources, supports and services

We ensure compliance, communication and collaboration by…

•  Facilitating SST, special education, initial 504 eligibility, and intervention meetings
• Helping to facilitate the completion of paperwork for county-wide referrals
• Conducting classroom observations

We provide behavioral support by…

• Providing consultation to teachers on Tier 1 behavioral support in the classroom (as needed)
• Assisting with the creation of behavior management plans (as needed)

Overall, we are responsible for supporting families, teachers, and administrators with any and everything related to the student support process and special education. We also support students, whenever possible, behaviorally and academically.

The Parent Resource Center is an amazing resource for families wherever they may be in the student support process.