Special Education

Ernie Easter - Ed Tech III

Ernie is a 37-year retired teacher who has decided to go back to teaching as an Educational Technician.  He has mostly taught at the Middle School level in both special education and regular education.  Thirteen of those years were in a small rural school where he taught regular education, all subjects, to both 7th and 8th grade at the same time.  He has been involved in teaching with Lego Robotics as part of his school curriculum as well as Upward Bound at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

Last year he and his wife Nancy moved back to southern Maine from Aroostook County where they had lived on their 100-acre farm for the past 30 years.  He enjoys building things, photography, genealogy, and all thing history.  He has a large collection of bird photos he as taken while following his birds.  He and his wife are both passionate birders. 

Billy Wall - Ed Tech III, Robotics

Billy’s first long-term job was as a bench technician for a local radio messaging and in-car phone provider in Jacksonville, FL; by the time he moved on to his second career, he had been an operations engineer and manager for a large portion of the state, the company was called Verizon Wireless Messaging, and the phones fit into pants pockets. After relocating to beautiful, rocky Maine, he got a math degree and teacher training at USM, and began teaching math at Central High School in Corinth, Maine. While there, Billy coached the math team and led other STEM enrichment activities at both the high school and adjacent middle school. Most recently, he taught math and coached the math team at Freeport High School. Billy spends most of his summers working in USM’s STEM camps, and he enjoys hiking year-round. He wishes Baxter Academy had been an option for his (early 30s) daughter and son when they were in high school!

Debra Gagne - Social Worker

With a background in case management, crisis intervention, therapeutic behavior interventions, trauma informed care and addiction there probably isn’t a story Deb hasn’t heard.  Working in special education has been very rewarding and an eye-opening experience.  “Watching students learn about their strengths and challenges, and overcoming any obstacles is very rewarding work.”  Deb is always there to lend an ear or help a student work out a problem.  She feels that the students teach her just as much as she teaches them.  Deb has attended multiple conferences on topics such as autism spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders and supporting lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.  

Deb received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern Maine and is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor.  Prior to becoming a social worker Deb worked in the business field and was a stay-home mom for many years.  She is forever grateful for having the ability to stay home when her children were little. 

Deb is a proud parent of two teenagers, Sydney and Noah, who attend Biddeford High School. Deb has been married to her patient husband Mike for 25 years.  They are getting ready to send Noah off to college and like many other parents try to “keep it together” when discussing this topic.  Deb admits to being a “helicopter” parent and says “it’s just who I am.”  

Fun Facts: Deb loves gardening, the New England Patriots #TB12, Harry Potter, and fishing with her family.  She tends to get a little competitive when fishing, but says she often wins.  She also loves barbecuing in the summer and watching sunsets.  She encourages everyone to stop by her office anytime for a cup of tea!

Eric Poulin - Special Education Teacher

Savanna Pettengill - Special Education Teacher

Savanna Pettengill has served students in special education in New York City public schools and worked with youth for over seven years. She  holds a BFA in Photography from the Maine College of Art and a Masters of Special Education from City University of New York.

Amber McKenzie - Special Education Teacher

Amber McKenzie grew up in Maine and graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington with a degree in Secondary Special Education, and a minor in Psychology. She has been working in the field of special education in various local public schools for several years. Alongside teaching, she is a Track & Field coach at a local high school. Amber enjoys working with students in various aspects of education, including learning ASL to support her aspirations of working within the deaf community and those with different communication abilities. In her free time, she likes to go on adventures in nature, make art, spend time with friends and hang out with her pet bunny.