North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Exceptional Children Division
The mission of the Exceptional Children Division is to ensure that students with disabilities develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized program in the least restrictive environment.
Child Find
For further information regarding Child Find or if you suspect your student may have a disability and need special education and/or related services, please contact:
Jennifer Kelly
EC Director, The Hawbridge School
jkelly@hawbridgeschool.org
Parent Rights & Responsibilities in Special Education: NC Notice of Procedural Safeguards
This handbook is designed to support families with the understanding of the rights and responsibilities specific to the special education process. Acronyms and terms often used in special education and resources can be found in the appendices.
If, at any time, you suspect your student may have a disability and is in need of special education and/or related services, you may request an evaluation, in writing, to your student’s school principal, teacher, or EC department.
Dispute Resolution
From time to time, disagreements between families and schools may occur regarding the development and implementation a student’s individualized education program (IEP). It is highly recommended that the following steps be considered in order to resolve differences quickly.
Jennifer Kelly
jkelly@hawbridgeschool.org
she/her
Director of Exceptional Children, K-12
MSA, UNC Chapel Hill
Certificate in Paralegal Studies, Duke University
Special Education/General Curriculum Licensure, East Carolina University
B.A., Social Studies Education, UNC Greensboro
Shaylen Burnett
sburnett@hawbridgeschool.org
she/her
Exceptional Children Teacher, Lower School
Mandy Harden
mrharden@hawbridgeschool.org
she/her
B.Ed., Elementary Education, Liberty University in progress (Exp. Graduation – Spring 2026)
Kindergarten
Brittany Kidd
bkidd@hawbridgeschool.org
she/her
Exceptional Children Instructional Assistant, Lower School
Chez Morris
cmorris@hawbridgeschool.org
he/him
Exceptional Children Instructional Assistant, Lower School
Partial Completion of B.S.Ed., Special Education and Inclusive Learning, Western Carolina University
WorkKeys Career Readiness Certificate
James (Jim) Rowe
jrowe@hawbridgeschool.org
he/him
Exceptional Children Teacher, Upper School
B.S., Criminal Justice, Western Carolina University
United States Army – Honorable Discharge
Tiana Thornton
tthornton@hawbridgeschool.org
she/her
MTSS Coordinator, K-12
B.S., Pyschology, Mercy College
Mental Health First Aid Certified — Adolescent/Young Adult
Certified Crisis Prevention Instructor
REI Training
Jason Wallace
jwallace@hawbridgeschool.org
he/him
Exceptional Children Teacher, Lower School
B.A., Psychology, with Minor in Sociology, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Shannon Wilkerson
swilkerson@hawbridgeschool.org
she/her
Exceptional Children Teacher, Upper School
M.A.T., Special Education, Pfeiffer University
B.S.W., Social Worker, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
