Leaders in special education have a professional and moral responsibility to ensure that students with physical, mental, and learning difficulties are assisted in achieving their optimal potential. I interviewed a school board member certified by the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (AASEP). He then referred me to a special needs teacher with a leadership role in her school. The two interviewees offered insightful advice on the challenges facing special needs students and the efforts that they are making to enhance performance improvement.
Regarding staying current with issues concerning special education, both respondents stated that they are members of the AASEP, which gives them up-to-date communication on any legal changes or information that is vital for their functions. In addition, the news media helps in getting landmark changes. The two responded that they regularly attend board meetings to share their experiences, propose policies, discuss challenges, and devise improvement plans. Whenever there is news to relay to other employees, an internal memo can be used, followed by email notifications to each worker. Sometimes, the news is only relevant to one professional, and a one-on-one meeting is used to pass on the information.
The interviewees hinted that keeping all employees up-to-date with the current special needs practices and recommendations is challenging. Some professionals need more interest and may fail to attend staff meetings, open their emails, or even read the notice boards. Moreover, some teachers are not members of any professional bodies for special needs students. In a few cases, the information may be relayed when an employee is on leave. There are several ramifications that the respondents stated as repercussions for failure to adhere to the policies, including drop-in students’ performance, revocation of licensure, parents asking for compensation of their fees and ruining the reputation of individual teachers or the school.
One of the interviewees stated that the best advice he received was that teaching special needs students requires passion, commitment and patience. The other was motivated by a counsel that all students deserve a quality education regardless of their challenges. The respondents inspired me to take special education as a calling to respond to a dire and growing human need. I will encourage other people pursuing a career in a similar field to look past the students’ weaknesses and see their talents and potential.