It was also at this time that parents began asking for fairness and equality in the classroom. Even though it took almost fourteen years, our government recognized that there is a whole range of support that people with disabilities needed to reach their full potential. In 2004, a law was passed called the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law guaranteed early intervention, special education and services to transition high school students into adulthood. IDEA opened a world of possibilities.
This brings me to the topic of this blog. I am very fortunate to work with some very special instructors who are certified in Special Education and/or have a special talent and ability to bring out the best in our special needs population at Vantage. Today I had the opportunity to sit in Mrs. Farr's English class during 8th period. Mrs Farr is a certified intervention specialist in several subjects and does an outstanding job with this population. Because this month is "Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month", she has had her class research and present any disability that they wanted to talk about. Charles Walker (who I did a blog on earlier this year) spoke about his Spina Bifida. He was very informative in describing the differences in the disease and which one he has. He answered a lot of good questions from his classmates and others. Charles spoke with clarity and confidence and helped us see what the disease is like and what it is like to live with Spina Bifida. The really cool thing though was when the presentation was all over, Charles wanted us to know that "when people have a disability those people shouldn't let their disability bring them down." If you read my earlier blog on Charles, this shouldn't surprise you. I want to thank Mrs. Farr for all she does. She uses such a calm and reassuring voice with the students that makes them feel relaxed and at ease. She never talks down to them but explains their errors and moves on. She finds time to joke with them but yet earns their respect. Vantage is lucky to have Mrs. Farr working with these students. Thank you Susan.
Tomorrow I will be sitting in Mrs. Knippen's pull-out English class. Mrs. Knippen is also an intervention specialist in Math and English. The class will be doing a socratic seminar. The purpose of a socratic seminar is to achieve a deeper understanding about the ideas and values in a text. The students will use open-ended questioning and a lot of critical thinking during this seminar. I can't wait to see the student's interaction. Mrs. Knippen is another one of those special people who have such an outstanding talent and ability to work with this population. I have spoken with several of her students over the last couple years and they truly love the class even though they may not say it. They will tell you she is tough but that she cares for them. I have personally seen her interact with students where she knows exactly what motivates a student and what makes them click. She cares so much for each of her students and wants nothing more then to see them graduate and succeed in life. Thanks Shelly.
And last but not least, I want to mention our two intervention specialist coordinators who without them, I would not be able to make it through a single day. They are Mrs. Shellabarger and Mrs. Cline. Basically the special services needs in our school are divided in half between these two outstanding coordinators. If you are reading this and have either Mrs. Shellabarger or Mrs. Cline to oversee your IEP, then you know that they care about you. They both follow progress book and watch every single grade these students get, they communicate with the home schools, they keep in constant touch with the parents and they will do whatever it takes to get these students to pass and get their work done. Now I'm not saying they are real hard on their students, but you don't want to get on their bad side. LOL. They will stay on their students and make sure the work is getting done and if you have ever tried to "deceive" them, they know every trick in the book and I will bet you didn't get away with anything. They are also here at Vantage to make sure every I is dotted and every T is crossed in their IEP. They know the law (IDEA) and make sure it is enforced on our campus. I don't even have time to mention all the paperwork that is now required by law and getting worse by the day, but that is also part of their daily work. And with everything I mentioned, they constantly keep me in the loop on every single issue with every single student. You guys are the best and I hope you know how much I appreciate the both of you. Thanks a million!
I know that all of the above mentioned staff would also want me to mention the outstanding aides that we have here at Vantage. I do send a big thank you to all our aides who do such a great job assisting our students every single day. The resource room is a very busy place each hour of the day. Thanks Lori, Nancy, Karen, Annette and Cindy.
Well I hope we don't let March pass by without all of us being more aware of the developmental disabilities that several students deal with every day. I hope we can become more understanding and be more of an advocate for these very awesome young adults. I hope you would also take the time to thank these very "Special People who work in this Special Place." Once again, thank all of you for what you do to make Vantage a better place.
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