Administrator Spotlight

Haley Hatch

Director of Special Services, Lake Hamilton School District

Haley Hatch, Director of Special Services for the Lake Hamilton School District, grew up with parents who were public school administrators and swore that she would never work in education. However, when she did her first pediatric internship as a speech-language pathologist in the Rogers School District, she quickly found she was hooked. She says, "I loved getting to be a part of kids’ lives and found that my greatest joy came from helping coordinate multiple services to serve the whole child while providing support to their teachers and families." After 2 years, she moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to join an early childhood diagnostic team in the Rockwood School District. After her first child was born, she moved back to Arkansas to be near family, working for the next several years in Bentonville and Rogers. "Life brought me home to Hot Springs," she says, "where I eventually began my administration career as the special education director at Mountain Pine in 2014, then Jessieville for 3 years, and now I’ve been the director of special services at Lake Hamilton since 2018."

Haley states there are two parts of her job that she loves equally: attending conferences to hear teachers and therapists share success stories with families, and getting to see the joy on parents’ faces when they are told their child is doing more than they expected. "It has also been incredibly rewarding to be a part of the state’s focus on inclusive practices," she says. "We have made such incredible gains in equitable education for all students and I’ve seen the benefits for students with and without IEPs." As to the job's greatest challenge, she says "this job is like playing a giant game of whack-a-mole where you just handle whatever pops up and know that something else is coming soon! Balancing all of the expectations and responsibilities is very challenging. I feel like special education directors are expected to know something about everything!"

To those considering joining the career, she advises, "You don’t have to know all the answers but you do have to know where to find them. Give yourself grace and find a good mentor! When other special education directors reach out to me with questions or to ask what I would do in a situation, I realize that my greatest professional accomplishment is that I have become one of the people I used to turn to when I needed guidance. It is an honor that my colleagues feel that I have the discernment to help them."

? Q&A ! with Haley Hatch

What is the best advice you have ever received?

When my mom was a principal, she had two framed quotes near her desk that I now have in my office. One says, “never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” The other says, “Behave like a duck. Stay calm on the surface, but paddle like crazy underneath.” I also try to live by Micah 8:8, “...act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

What might other administrators be surprised to know about you?

I made it to the second round of auditions for Wheel of Fortune but didn’t score high enough on the written test to make it on the show.

What is the most daring thing you’ve done?

A story that I wrote was chosen for the NPR show, Tales from the South. I read it in front of a live audience and it was broadcast nationally. That was a vulnerability that I hadn’t experienced before!

What do you enjoy doing during your time off?

Most weekends, my significant other, Jason, and I can be found listening to live music, going to a ballgame, at the races, or spending time with family. I absolutely love to travel. My favorite places are New Orleans and anywhere with a white sandy beach. I also serve on the board of directors for the Sunshine Therapeutic Riding Center and have been involved in homeless ministry.

What are the goals you are still working toward?

My goals are ever-evolving - which is best practice in the world of IEPs! I constantly strive to have a healthy work-life balance, especially as a single mom. I’m also still working on being that duck… staying calm on the surface is sometimes a challenge on the days that the big surprises show up.

What do you see as the biggest benefit of AAEA membership?

The connection and support that comes from the advocacy efforts of AAEA and direct communication with leadership at DESE is invaluable. One of the best parts of being the president of AASEA is the opportunity to be a representative and voice for special education supervisors in statewide conversations. AASEA has become a lifeline for me over the past 10 years. My AASEA friends are the ones I turn to when I have complex questions or when I begin to second-guess my thoughts about how to handle situations. Being a part of the board has been an added support because I know the people around me are knowledgeable, conscientious, and experienced.