![Student from CITL at Mount Marion holds art sketch next to final collaborative sculpture]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1783445021/ulsterbocesorg/uwjz6xfklkaure1lyisj/IMG_7640.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1783445021/ulsterbocesorg/uwjz6xfklkaure1lyisj/IMG_7640.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1783445021/ulsterbocesorg/uwjz6xfklkaure1lyisj/IMG_7640.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1783445021/ulsterbocesorg/uwjz6xfklkaure1lyisj/IMG_7640.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1783445021/ulsterbocesorg/uwjz6xfklkaure1lyisj/IMG_7640.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1783445021/ulsterbocesorg/uwjz6xfklkaure1lyisj/IMG_7640.jpg","width":2200}])
Last month, the Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning (CITL) at Mount Marion welcomed families, staff, and community members for its annual Art & Music Celebration, showcasing the creativity, growth, and unique voices of its students.
Special Education: Centers for Innovative Teaching & Learning
Every student who walks through our doors arrives with unique strengths, needs, interests, and aspirations. We strive to create learning environments where students feel safe, connected, valued, and empowered to grow. The successes reflected in our programs are only possible because of the strong partnerships that exist within Ulster County and the shared commitment to supporting every learner.
The videos below offer a glimpse into the communities, relationships, and learning experiences that define our CITL programs. Through the voices of students and staff, you'll see the impact of our partnership, highlighted through powerful examples of belonging and personal growth to the development of skills, confidence, and pathways for the future.
Our Offerings
Ulster BOCES provides programs for students ages five through twenty-one who are identified as needing specialized programs and/or supports according to their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Special Education programs are offered at the Centers for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Ulster Park, Port Ewen, and Saugerties. They have been developed and offered to meet the specific needs of our students in order to assist them in realizing their potential to achieve both academically and socially.
The following programs are available in Special Class configurations of 12:1:1, 8:1:1, and 6:1:1. All classes are staffed by a full-time Special Education teacher and teaching assistant. (Additional supplementary 1:1 aides may be requested for individual students as per Committee on Special Education recommendations.
Multiple programs are available.
- SPECIAL CLASSES 12:1:1
- K-12 MAPLE ACADEMY
- K-12 OAK ACADEMY
- K-12 CEDAR ACADEMY
- K-12 BIRCH ACADEMY
- SUMMER SCHOOL
- RELATED & ITINERANT SERVICES
- OTHER SERVICES
SPECIAL CLASSES 12:1:1
K-12 MAPLE ACADEMY
K-12 OAK ACADEMY
K-12 CEDAR ACADEMY
K-12 BIRCH ACADEMY
SUMMER SCHOOL
RELATED & ITINERANT SERVICES
OTHER SERVICES
What Makes CITL Special? Let Our Students Tell You
Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning Headline News
![Five women standing in a semi circle with there hands touching]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1781620033/ulsterbocesorg/suvlswvlf9haiti7t7c4/ScreenShot2026-06-16at101426AM.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1781620033/ulsterbocesorg/suvlswvlf9haiti7t7c4/ScreenShot2026-06-16at101426AM.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1781620033/ulsterbocesorg/suvlswvlf9haiti7t7c4/ScreenShot2026-06-16at101426AM.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1781620033/ulsterbocesorg/suvlswvlf9haiti7t7c4/ScreenShot2026-06-16at101426AM.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1781620033/ulsterbocesorg/suvlswvlf9haiti7t7c4/ScreenShot2026-06-16at101426AM.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1781620033/ulsterbocesorg/suvlswvlf9haiti7t7c4/ScreenShot2026-06-16at101426AM.png","width":2200}])
Authentic learning experiences have the power to transform education by creating opportunities for students to connect their learning to the world around them. Throughout the 2025-26 school year, Ulster BOCES students and educators participated in Whole Brain Whole Child Project-Based Learning (PBL) cycles designed to foster curiosity, collaboration, creativity, and deeper learning.
![Dr. Jill Berardi and Meg Braren]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1781183645/ulsterbocesorg/bunku9hhcztj3ealamyj/deeperleadingandlearningepisode4ulster.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1781183645/ulsterbocesorg/bunku9hhcztj3ealamyj/deeperleadingandlearningepisode4ulster.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1781183645/ulsterbocesorg/bunku9hhcztj3ealamyj/deeperleadingandlearningepisode4ulster.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1781183645/ulsterbocesorg/bunku9hhcztj3ealamyj/deeperleadingandlearningepisode4ulster.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1781183645/ulsterbocesorg/bunku9hhcztj3ealamyj/deeperleadingandlearningepisode4ulster.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1781183645/ulsterbocesorg/bunku9hhcztj3ealamyj/deeperleadingandlearningepisode4ulster.png","width":1920}])
In Episode 2 of the Whole Brain Whole Child podcast, Dr. Jillaine Berardi welcomes Meg Braren, Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services at Rondout Valley Central School District, for a conversation about the future of learning, belonging, and inclusion in New York State.
Contact
Jillaine Berardi, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent for Learning & Design - Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning Program
Michael Regan
Director of Special Education
Gwen Kramer-Gold
Assistant Director for Special Education
Tonya Griffiths
Principal
Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Mt. Marion
Christina Rutella
Principal
Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Port Ewen
Susan DeGeorge
Principal
Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Anna Devine
Rachel Balaban
Assistant Principal
Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Port Ewen
David Goho
Assistant Principal
Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Port Ewen
Linda Rubin
Assistant Principal
Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Anna Devine
Shelbi Hamilton
Assistant Principal
Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning at Mt. Marion
Port Ewen
Route 9W, PO Box 1176
Port Ewen, NY 12466
Phone: 845.339.8707
Anna Devine
1372 Old Post Road
Ulster Park, NY 12487
Phone: 845.334.5915
Mt. Marion
744 Glasco Tpke,
Saugerties, NY 12477
Phone: 845.334.5930
What is Whole Brain, Whole Child at Ulster BOCES
CITL’s guiding framework — Whole Brain, Whole Child — emphasizes supporting every aspect of a student’s development: intellectually, emotionally, socially, and creatively. This approach honors the full identities of students by embracing their unique voices and strengths, rather than reducing them to labels or singular narratives. Get a glimpse of how our educators approach this work through their professional development experiences.
How to Enroll
If you suspect your child has a disability or have been given a diagnosis by a medical practitioner, you can consider a referral to your school district’s Committee for Special Education (CSE). You may also want to meet with your child’s teacher and principal to share information about your child’s skills, abilities, and needs. After doing so, you may wish to state your concern and put the reasons for your suspicions into writing and provide copies of any prior evaluations and diagnoses to the chairperson of the CSE or the principal at your child’s school. You may discover that your child is eligible for support within the regular education program. This may be: short-term counseling through educationally related services, speech and language improvement services, curriculum and instructional modifications, or Academic Intervention Services.