Sub Vision: Special Education Made Right

At the beginning of my education career, I was lucky to land a job at a good school, close to my home. I started there as an observer, part of my teaching credentials program, stayed as a bi-lingual volunteer aide, then (minimally) paid aide. A year later, after passing the proficiency test, I was offered a math teaching position at the special education department. This was my first year teaching and I had a lot to learn about teaching math, special education and school organization in general. My aide was a great help with teaching, and fellow teachers with IEPs.

As my goal was to teach math in the general education, I left at the end of the year. The next ten years took me to charter and private institutes, adult education, and a variety of public schools. These experiences led me to the conclusion that a full time teaching job was just impossible, and thus I became a substitute teacher. I did hold several semester-long assignments, but was always careful not to commit to a contract employment. At times, regretting leaving special ed, I considered going back to school to add a credential, but when I learned of what it entails I gave it up.

During those ten years I learned that my special education students were not different from most other students, academically or behavior wise. With time, and repeated disappointments, I lowered my expectations and rigor of teaching, and became complicit to the lack of students’ progress. Long-term assignments kept me for a while at certain locations. Usually, however, I wandered between different schools, and being lower on the seniority ladder, was called to the lower-end ones.

Despite the realization that students in the special ed are very similar to those in the general ed, I was stunned to discover that most schools do not take the special education seriously. Unlike the earnestness with which we took our job at my first school, most special ed programs lacked integrity and real goal. When assigned to a special ed class, I was given no specific directions, students had no definite guidelines or work, and when asked about their daily routines, typical reply would be ‘none’. I would not believe it had there been anything to point to the contrary...

Ten years later, I returned to my first school as a substitute. I was delighted to see people I have not seen in years, most still there, teaching same subjects, and in the same classrooms. With renewed acquaintances and relationships, I received invitations to substitute, especially from my special education teachers, friends.

I then re-discover something amazing… special education teachers that do actually teach! During two weeks I spent at one classroom we read a book, discussed it and had a project. At another one-week assignment the teacher left specific instructions and orderly class work, with one high-quality movie to watch, following a guide-line and a worksheet. At my friend Maria’s class I enjoyed a very well-organized plan for both English and math, and I realized that her class’s math level is higher than many general ed’s. Similarly impressed I was with another math class where advanced work was completed and submitted. Even the last day of school was not idle; The Health teacher left several tasks, and – a qualified, difficult, final exam…

There is also a lot to say about the wonderful and dedicated assistants, many of whom had been there for years. They work closely with the teachers and are an integral part of the learning process. They don’t sit in the corner and exchange text messages. They are active, knowledgeable, authoritarian yet accommodating.

I wish I had known back then, what I know now, and not wasted ten years looking for the ideal job. This place is as close to ideal as I could find, with dedicated, great teachers, colleagues, friends, and with students whose life I could have affected...

Sub Vision: Charter Schools, Chapter II

The public education, schools and districts, are suffering defeat at the political arena. A U.S. Secretary of Education who had never been to a public school… A Board of Education elected official backed by big money supporters who have never been in the education profession… Is this the trend these days? Persons with no qualifications running huge systems they know nothing about?

Talking to public school teachers, I always make known my familiarity with charter schools, and my opinion of them... It had been almost two years since I had written about it in my blog, but a teacher had recently asked me about my experience and I was happy to share my knowledge and to refer her to my writing.

When I re-read my blog it reminded me of the weird school sites, the unprofessional staff members, the classrooms without desks and without white (or black) board, the school that did not have teachers, the Science school that did not have a science teacher, the ‘Computer’ class that did not have computers…

Talking to new teachers, or teachers looking for a change, I always remind them that at a charter school, teachers are not protected by a union that tells the school what duties, and hours, are acceptable, and which are not. Supervision before, during or after school, is a common practice there, as well as late meetings, and extra unpaid tutoring or enrichment classes.

Here is the truth behind most charter schools… It is not about a better education, it is about a more profitable education. People who run charter schools are not, usually, educators, but business people who know how to use public funds to their benefit. With some savvy tricks they can save money hiring unqualified teachers for a low pay, make them work many extra hours, and if teachers quit, or fired (no binding contracts), others will come; replacement teachers or replacement subjects.

I don’t pretend to know all the details and requirements of starting a charter school; under what kind of scrutiny they are, and for how long. I do know, however, that they have a lot of leeway at the beginning and, conveniently, they don’t have to prove success for many years… so they can change the name, or location, or administration, and start all over again, ruining another generation of trusting students of unsuspecting parents…