Special Education
Faculty & Staff
My name is Debbie Doherty. I am beginning my 26th year as a speech pathologist. I taught 5 years at Greene Valley State School for the Severely Handicapped and 21 years with Springfield Public Schools. This will be my fourth year at Westport. For 3 years I taught the ICS program and look forward to being the speech pathologist for Westport this year. I am married with 3 step-children, 3 grandchildren, 2 dogs and 1 cat. My husband is a paramedic with Cox Health. My philosophy to teaching is simple; all children can learn.
My name is Linda Zweerink. I have been working in special education for 31 years. I graduated from MSU with a bachelor's degree in education, and from Drury University with a Master's degree in education with an emphasis in special education. I have 7 different lifetime teaching certifications, with three in regular education and 4 in special education. I worked for the Developmental Center of the Ozarks for 7 years, 5 years as a classroom teacher, and coordinated the Infant Stimulation Program for 2 years of that time. I worked at Delaware Elementary for 17 years as a Special Education Teacher. I have also worked as a special education teacher at Williams, Boyd/Berry and Weaver Elementary Schools. I have been at Westport Elementary for 8 years. My husband and I have been married for 41 years. We have two grown sons.
My name is Charles LaGarce. I am a special education teacher at Westport. This is my fourth year here. I am married with 4 children and an assortment of pets, from reptiles to birds to canine and feline. I enjoy swimming, teaching others to swim, any kind of team sport, and spending my free time in the outdoors.
My name is Raquel Garland. I teach Special Education at Wesport Elementary.
My name is Amber Hawkins. I have been teaching Special Education since 2003, and I have taught at Westport since August 2007. My class focuses on Functional and Daily Living Skills. We are fortunate enough to take regular community outings in order to teach our students real world skills that they can use to foster independence in their post-secondary life. Prior to teaching at Westport, I taught at the Greene County Special Education Cooperative and in Walnut Grove, MO. I graduated from Evangel University in 2003 with degrees in Special Education and Elementary Education. I am married to Donald, the man who designed this website! I have two cats, Jax and Dash and a dachshund pup named Nugget.