By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

FRYEBURG — Growing up in a large city, Pat Menzel met two individuals living on the same street that made a lasting impact on her life.

One had cerebral palsy and was quite impaired. Yet, she did make progress.

“Back then, schooling was very segregated so students like her were not seen in the typical school buildings,” Pat said.

The other neighbor had a cleft palate.

“He was always picked on and treated less than what he was capable of. While he had a difficult life, he persevered,” she recalled.

Those experiences led Pat down the path to be an educator and an advocate for those with special needs.

“I always knew I wanted to teach. I loved school then and still love the school setting. I found working with students as a speech/language pathologist gave me joy, energy, and a purpose,” she said.

Today, Patricia “Pat” Menzel works in SAD 72 as Director of Special Services.

Her work and dedication in the field resulted in Pat being named the 2023 Special Education Administrator of the Year by the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC).

Ms. Menzel was nominated by her Regional Director’s Group (Bridges) due to her dedicated work as a Director of Special Services for the past 11 years and working in the field of special education for the last 40 years.

“I was surprised and honored,” she said.

Ms. Menzel’s educational career began as a Speech/Language Pathologist serving individuals in schools, preschools, nursing homes, private homes and hospital settings.

Ms. Menzel has also previously served as an I.E.P. Team Coordinator, Coordinator of Special Services and a Consulting Special Education Teacher. Ms. Menzel has been referred to by her colleagues, peers, staff, students and parents as knowledgeable, insightful, a great problem solver and an asset to each and every school she has worked in. Her staff stated that she always takes the time to get know them and sees their strengths and who puts their needs in front of her own.

SAD 72 Superintendent Jay Robinson shared that, “Pat places a premium on consistent, ongoing communication with every member of her team, from families to educational technicians to case managers.”

Robinson further noted, “Pat always places students first, and she creatively and persistently focuses on supporting student needs while expecting the same of all staff members working with our kids.”

Cheryl Baker, SAD 72 Assistant Director of Special Services said, “Pat has a wealth of knowledge about both the legal and ethical requirements of being a special education administrator and the expertise to apply this knowledge effectively, often in situations that are multi-layered and complex.”

One parent shared her thoughts about Pat as “she showed the utmost professionalism and respect for both of my children and me! She tirelessly answered all of my questions and listened…” and wanted to “thank Pat for making sure her children always have been taken care of and for her kindness, compassion, and commitment to those in her care.”

Lisa Caron, a longtime colleague and friend of Pat’s shared, “Pat possesses the personal qualities of intelligence, self-reflection, sensitivity, and dedication essential to exemplary leadership… she continues to make a difference in her work community, exemplifies the mission of a leader in the field of special education, and has positively impacted the people she works with on a daily basis.”

Caron shared that she will have the honor of presenting Pat with her award at the 2023 MADSEC Director’s Academy being held later in the month of June. She stated, “while all Special Education Administrators deserve to be recognized for the complex work and requirements to do the job well, I cannot think of anyone I would rather have the privilege of presenting this award to than Pat.”

When asked what has been her approach as a director, Pat responded, “To put the needs of students first. I try to hire, train, and support the best staff to address the needs of students. We want our students to have the best programming to meet their needs not just while they are in school, but for their future endeavors whatever that may be.”

Time, Pat says, has been her biggest challenge.

“There is never enough time in the day as priorities change often and things I would like completed sometimes don’t get addressed and/or finished as quickly as I would like,” she said. “Other challenges currently are finding and hiring staff to work on site to be able to support our students; working through and moving forward with the impact the pandemic has had on students and staff; and changes in policies/procedures and laws that I have to follow while trying to meet student and family needs/requests.”

Asked what her greatest rewards in being an educator and working in the field of special education, Pat responded, “Watching and hearing about student growth with skills they are developing from learning to walk or talk to being able to read and write so they can access the regular education setting with success. Knowing you have a lasting impact on a child’s life, however big or little it may be, is the greatest reward. The same with teachers I work with. When they obtain skills they need to support a student to develop a skill and see it work is also rewarding. Watching students or adults when they have that ‘ah-ha’ moment is amazing to see.”