1. A lot of what I got critisized for at my last school, this school embraces!
a. Inclusion as much as possible.
b. Academic focus until the student goes to the after high school program! HELLO! I tried to do that with my students. If there was a chance they could learn to read, then I was trying very hard to teach them to read. Certain very influential people though I should just be working on social skills and life skills with these students, and not academics. This was one of my biggest "head butting" things. Social skills and life skills can be taught in every grade, but if a student has a chance to learn to read, then I'm going to take that change and run with it! High expectations are a good thing.
c. Para's in this district actually get training that they can use! They have supervisors at District who take care of them. They aren't under the sole guidence of one special ed teacher in the school. Yahoo!!!!!!!!!! If the para needs training on something, then the district person will take care of it. Thank goodness!
d. We don't have to do all of the work for billing for medicaid! And they don't do any academic, or specialist traing (speech, OT, PT) billing outside of the therapy room. That cuts a lot of money from their budget, but also a lot of work for me!
e. They use a really cool software program that actually communicates with Power school. This means if someone's address changes, or their phone number, it will change in our program as well. That is totally cool!
That is totally cool! I'm excited to be working with this district. Seems really great so far! And while I was sitting there listening to all of their values that were mine last year, I felt so good. I felt validated that I'm a good teacher and that all of the poeple who disagreed were wrong. Or at least just don't have the same values as me. :)
I'm going to go to my school tomorrow and meet my principal, and anyone else who is there. I will get my lap top! Wahoo! I get one to work on IEPs. We get to take them to meetings too to makes changes on the IEPs and take notes. Isn't that neat? :)
4 comments:
Wow Michelle that school sounds great! I'm so happy for you. Now you can use your talent and reach out to the kids the way they need. I knew it would all work out for you! It's really sad about the other school not letting the kids reach their full potential, they were very lucky to have you for a teacher and didn't even realize it. But now you can spread your wings and teach the kids what they need!
They didn't want you to teach the kids to read? I have no words for that. I'm speechless. The Deer Valley School District is awesome and it is known for its special ed program. I am excited you get to be a part of it. Its good you get to be part of a forward moving and cutting edge school district.
Isn't it great to be appreciated? As for those of us left at the other school, we shall continue to INSIST that our kids be taught to read and included as much as possible.
(Think I'll need boxing gloves again this year?)
Glad to hear that you like the school and the district! :)
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