Christine Schmidt reads a student file Monday in the Winslow High School library after being appointed the district’s special education director. Dylan Tusinski/Morning Sentinel

WINSLOW — School administrators moved to hire a new director of special education recently, just a day after she left her role at Augusta Schools.

Christine Schmidt became Winslow Public Schools’ special education director Monday at the school board meeting.

She was previously the assistant director of special education at Augusta Schools and finished her last day on the job there just hours before accepting the Winslow job.

While the turnaround was fast, Schmidt said she wouldn’t have been much help for any students in need if she didn’t start in Winslow as soon as possible.

“There’s something different, something new every day no matter where you teach, so it won’t be a totally new experience,” Schmidt said at Monday’s meeting. “If I had waited, in the long run, it wouldn’t have been beneficial to anyone — to kids, students or myself.”

Schmidt’s hiring came just a day after Winslow’s current special education director, Jennifer Knowles, worked her last day before retirement, according to school board chair Joel Selwood. The timing, he said, couldn’t have been better.

“I grew up in Augusta, so too bad for them,” Selwood said with a laugh. “But we’re really happy to have you here. Just perfect, great timing.”

Schmidt has worked for 25 years in special education, teaching life skills and offering mental health counseling in schools across Maine ranging from Dexter to Lewiston.

Her role will focus largely on overseeing how many and which students require special education and implementing educational programs for them. “It’s challenging work, but I love the work,” Schmidt said at the meeting.

Schmidt said her position plays a more vital role in the post-pandemic era than it did before, as teachers in Winslow and around the country report increasing instances of poor behavior and emotional dysregulation, which is a psychological term referring to controlling one’s body and emotions.

“Students struggle. There are a lot of referrals, and everyone is kind of looking for a way to students to catch up, and a lot of that does fall in special education,” she said. “Part of what I do is ensuring that students who really need special education are the ones getting it, and those who don’t need special education but still need support get those other options.”