SUPPORT OFFICE

Welcome to the Support Office webpage.  This office works with students, and their families, who receive special education services.  Our office consists of three staff members:

Debbie Johnson, Special Education Facilitator

Laurel Pate, Coordinator Assistant

Liz Hill, School Psychologist

Debbie Johnson

I am the Canyon del Oro High School Special Education Facilitator.  I have been in the field of special education since 1992.  Prior to working at Canyon del Oro High School, I worked in various fields of special education in the Flowing Wells and Tucson Unified School Districts.  My role as Special Education Facilitator is to work with new families with students who have special needs, support the special education teachers and paraprofessionals who work at CDO, work with general education teachers as they implement accommodations and modifications and be the liaison between our District Student Services Office and the school.

Contact Information:

Email:  djohnson@amphi.com

Phone Number: (520) 696-5587

Degrees and Certifications:

B.S. Health Related Professions, University of Arizona

       Minor: Special Education and Rehabilitation

M.A. Educational Leadership w/Distinction, Northern Arizona University

K-12 Special Education, Learning Disabilities

K-12 Physical Education

Laurel Pate

I am the Coordinator Assistant for the Special Education Department at Canyon del Oro High School.  My educational journey began in 1987 as a teacher's assistant in Florida; a few years later, I progressed to a middle-school volunteer coordinator and completed my nine years of service at the school district facility.  A few of my duties included coordinating the state's 5-Star School Award program for our district, maintaining a speaker's bureau, facilitating a district language bank, serving as a trainer for new school coordinators and volunteers, writing a district tip sheet for media, and assisting in grant writing for the volunteer program.  My most exciting experience was working with the Orlando Magic to implement the first Stay in School Program.  I relocated to Arizona in 2001 and began working in the Amphitheater School District a few years later.  Prior to my assignment at Canyon del Oro, I worked at an Amphitheater elementary school and worked three years as a Special Education attendant for the District's Transportation Department.  I am fortunate to work with both the school Special Education Facilitator and Psychologist to assure the clerical aspect of our Special Education program runs smoothly.  My immediate duties include maintaining all CDO Special Education student files; scheduling Student Study Team/Initial Placement and reevaluation meetings, sending meeting correspondence to parents and ensuring original documents are delivered to the Amphitheater District Office.

Contact Information:

Email: lpate@amphi.com

Phone: (520) 696-5749

Education:

Associates Arts Degree, Valencia College, Florida

Liz Hill, MA, NCSP

I am currently the school psychologist at Canyon del Oro High School.  I have worked in the Amphitheater District going on 17 years and I love being a Dorado!  I'm a transplant from North Dakota who came to Arizona for graduate school and never left.  I'm a mom, dog lover, triathlete and an outdoor enthusiast always exploring the great state I now call home.  As a school psychologist, I work with educators and parents in an attempt to make school a good place to be for all students.  I facilitate meetings to discuss the student progress, conduct evaluations to determine student need for specialized support and I collaborate with teachers, students and parents in educational planning.  I am a resource at the high school for students who may be in crisis and in need of adult support.  I am also part of the district-wide Traumatic Brain Injury/Concussion Team, serving as a point person at CDO to facilitate any academic interventions that may be warranted after a student has sustained a head injury.

Contact Information:

Email: lhill@amphi.com

Phone: (520) 696-5589

Education:

Colorado State University-Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Northern Arizona University-Master of Arts in School Psychology

Professional Accomplishments:

Nationally Certified School Psychologist

Member of the Arizona Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Team