Poet Seat School has evolved from an approved separate day school for adolescents with emotional disabilities to a Poet Seat Program, administered by Greenfield High School. The program continues to support students with significant emotional issues that impact their ability to learn. Intensive support is provided, with a 3 to 1 student to staff ratio. The mission of Poet Seat is to stabilize students so that they can return to less restrictive educational settings. Students may attend high school for any required classes that they cannot otherwise access. A social/emotional curriculum occurs as a matter of course throughout the school day. A predictable behavioral level system exists, and the students vote and give feedback to peers petitioning to a higher level. When students demonstrate safety and greater responsibility, they are eligible to petition to a higher level. Instruction at Poet Seat aligns with the district-wide curriculum.

The curriculum is aligned to the frameworks. Clinical groups dovetail with a behavioral level system to provide a safe and predictable structure.

On site is the program director who supervises the staff and runs Poet Seat. Certified Special Education teachers work with educational teams to design Individual Educational Plans. Staff is trained in Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI). All services provided by the Greenfield Public School District are available to students at Poet Seat School.

The mission of Poet Seat is to stabilize our pre teens and adolescents so that they can return to a less restrictive setting. Our goal is for the students to return to middle school and high school. To ease the transition back, most Greenfield students initially return to the Transition Classes before integration into the main stream. To foster re-entry into these settings, the curricula are aligned with the curricula of the respective schools.

Poet Seat is a part of the Greenfield School Districts and follows the same calendar.  School transportation is provided within the district. For those students whose Individual Education Plans (IEP) indicate an extended school year, there is a six weeks summer program.

Out of District Referrals
Students from neighboring school districts can attend Poet Seat School. The school district (LEA) in which the student lives pays tuition to the Greenfield Puplic School District. It is the responsibility of the sending school district to arrange transportation.

Initially, the special education director from the sending district contacts the program director of Poet Seat. A referral packet follows. Again, the referral packet is reviewed , and if the program director and clinical director agree that the services outlined in the IEP can be provided, the student is accepted. A visit is scheduled and the same intake procedure follows.

For more information call Admissions, 413.772.1300