About Me

Ms. Betrus received her Teacher of the Handicapped certification in 2003 from William Paterson University and became a member of Pi Lambda Theta, an honorary professional association in education. Additionally, she earned a certification in Orton-Gillingham from Fairleigh Dickinson University and has a B.B.A. degree in Marketing from Iona College.

Ms. Betrus began teaching in Franklin Lakes in 2004. She has experience working with students in grades K-8. She loves working with children and enjoys being a part of the Franklin Lakes community. In addition to teaching, Ms. Betrus enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going on walks with her dog, baking, gardening, going to the beach, and traveling.

Philosophy of the Special Education Program in the Franklin Lakes School District

“If he cannot learn the way we teach, we had better teach the way he can learn"

- Robert Buck

The special Education teachers of Franklin Lakes Public Schools believe in success for all children. We are dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment in which each child has the opportunity to reach his or her fullest potential. Learning is an individual process in which each child will have the optimum opportunity to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. We strive to foster individual strengths while developing areas in need of more support. We support students through a variety of specialized instructional strategies, techniques and materials.

The teachers in the Franklin Lakes Special Education Program focus on student achievement through the implementation of scientifically research-based curriculum that reflects best practices in special education. Comprehensive assessments are also used in order to establish data-driven goals and objectives to guide individual student success. The IEP is the cornerstone of the student’s program. We implement the IEP to meet the specific needs of each student in our programs. We are consistently mindful of the specific accommodations and modifications that will help our students reach success in both special and general education programs.

As a group, we philosophically believe in the movement to give special needs students’ greater access to general education classes. Our goal is to strengthen our relationship with our general education colleagues through the in-class support model. The establishment of this partnership, while maintaining our identity as special educators, will create greater opportunities for student success now and in the future. We are committed to excellence and making a significant difference in the lives of students challenged by the classroom setting.

The Resource Program is a replacement program for Reading, Language Arts, and Math. We work with small groups of students in grade levels K-5. The teachers use the IEP, Individualized Educational Plan, to meet and accommodate the needs of all students in these subject areas. Along with individualized instruction, the regular classroom curriculum is used. Daily communication with classroom teachers reinforces and develops a team effort to ensure a successful learning experience for each student.

Resource teachers are also involved in collaborative classes at various grade levels and content areas. They work with the classroom teachers to design and implement lessons that are suited to different ability levels and learning styles. The role of the co-teacher is to provide accommodations and modifications as needed to assist students with IEPs to be successful in their mainstream academic studies. Having two certified professionals in the collaborative classroom is a great benefit to all students involved in this educational model.