Hello, Thermopolis and Hot Springs County School District #1,
My name is Ryan Larkin-Smith. I am a native Wyomingite on sojourn to Arizona since 1989. Growing up in Fremont County (Lander mostly) gave me a deep appreciation for North Central Wyoming; and while I have spent much of my adult life away from the area I have yearned to return for many years and can’t thank you enough for giving me this opportunity.
I have spent my career in the field of special education starting as a teacher in 1995 teaching grades Kindergarten through 12th (with a focus on rural school districts). In 2006 I obtained my master's in administration (School Principal) from my alma mater Northern Arizona University and worked for a private company as an administrator supporting special education programs in small rural and charter schools in the greater Tucson, AZ area. During this time I was able to help many schools set up and run compliant special education programs that supported students with a wide range of disabilities.
In 2015 I obtained my second master's degree with a focus on Post High School Transition in Special Education from the University of Kansas. This degree gave me a sharper focus on how best to support students with disabilities in the school setting.
In June of 2021, I accepted a position in a rural public school in south-central AZ as a special education director and have enjoyed my time with the district and look forward to my new adventure with you.
