{"id":4488,"date":"2020-05-07T12:18:01","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T16:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=4488"},"modified":"2020-05-07T12:18:01","modified_gmt":"2020-05-07T16:18:01","slug":"shedding-light-on-special-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=4488","title":{"rendered":"Shedding Light on Special Education"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Kaitlyn Piggott<\/strong><br \/>\nThe Chariot<br \/>\nTroy HS<br \/>\n1st Place Division 1, News Writing<br \/>\nIn-Depth Feature<\/p>\n<p><b>JUDGING CRITERIA<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lead captures attention, arouses curiosity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Topic relevant to interests and\/or welfare of school or students<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extensive, intensive and thorough investigation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effectively combines basics of good news and feature writing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effectively organized with smooth transitions; carefully outlined<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper diction\/grammar<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Balanced and fair presentation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Please note that all of the parents and students interviewed have had their names changed not only to protect their family\u2019s privacy, but also in respect to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The names of the special education teacher\u2019s name as well as the director of Special Education\u2019s name have remained intact. Thomas Edison is known for many things, primarily the incandescent lightbulb. He attempted the invention hundreds of times before achieving it, cementing him as a person who exemplified true grit. A little known fact, though, sheds a different light on the man people call \u201cAmerica\u2019s greatest inventor.\u201d In a letter to his mother, his teacher called him \u201caddled,\u201d which later evolved into \u201cretarded.\u201d The letter went on to say they would not let him attend their school anymore. Some sources say he was dyslexic. He was then home-schooled by his mother. If it had not been for his mother and his personal strength and endurance, Edison would have fallen behind. Edison, one of the greatest inventors of all time, would qualify for services through the special education of modern times; therefore, one has to question how many other future Edisons hide in the midst. A common misconception exists that students who receive services can\u2019t be as strong academically as those who don\u2019t. \u201c[Students who receive services can] be just as competitive as the general education students,\u201d Amelia Johnson, a mother of a student who previously received services through Troy High\u2019s special education program, said. \u201cStudents with disabilities can learn; they learn differently. There are a lot of different paths to the same destination. One path should not be judged superior to another path.\u201d Johnson\u2019s experience with special education includes some bumps in the road. Her child, who had an Individualized Education Program, struggled to receive the extra help they deserved. The more her child was placed in, as she phrased it, \u201cinappropriate programs\u201d administered by teacher\u2019s aides and substitutes rather than a teacher, the more stupid they felt. Johnson feels an emotion no parent should have to feel: guilt. Guilt because she places the blame on herself for her child falling behind and struggling in the way they did. She expresses that her child was not held to the same standards as the other general education students, even though learning disabilities have nothing to do with one\u2019s IQ. \u201c[My child] felt like it was impossible to earn the grade on their own merit,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThey did not have a sense of what it took to be successful at a college or a university. It was just one more hit to my child\u2019s self-esteem when they realized grades were not based on attendance and effort.\u201d 9.9 percent of students in the Troy School District receive special education services. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, special education is \u201cspecifically designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child.\u201d The purpose is \u201cto prepare them for further education, employment and independent living.\u201d Many students who receive services are perceived as \u201cspecial ed students\u201d and therefore viewed differently than the general population. \u201cThe thing that I think is really important is that all [special education] students are general education students first,\u201d Jessica Carrier, the director of Special Education for the TSD, said. For Kendall Williams, a mother of two children with IEPs, she sees strengths and weaknesses of special education. One of her children has a fair share of struggles with their journey with special education services, where her other child has a much more positive experience. Either way, it has affected her and her family. She says special education can be a sensitive topic to discuss, and at first, her family believed that talking about it would be declaring her children as different. Yet, she believes that had she not intervened into her child\u2019s education, her child would have \u201cfallen through the cracks.\u201d \u201cI had pushback from family,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI was told not to \u2018label\u2019 them as this would affect their future. Had I ignored the issues, their future might not have looked as bright as it does today.\u201d Both Williams and Johnson have experienced feelings of isolation. Williams wishes there was more support for everyone involved and Johnson would like the school to be a safer place for all students. For Sarah Rollins, another mother of two children who receive services through special education, she sees the struggles of isolation in children with special needs, but says she is grateful for all the assistance available for her children. That isn\u2019t to say the road has been obstacle-free. \u201cI often wonder how lucky parents feel if the biggest challenge their child has is that they are an average learner or have to work a little harder,\u201d Mrs. Rollins said. \u201c\u2018Normalcy\u2019 is a gift itself.\u201d Normalcy means something different for her son, Glenn Rollins. For Rollins, normal is receiving services. He personally doesn\u2019t view special education negatively, rather he believes society has formed a negative narrative. Yet, he stresses that this is without fault to the school. Rollins doesn\u2019t see himself differently from the rest of the general education students because he uses accomodations only as he needs them, not as a way to get out of doing a task. \u201cI won\u2019t use my accommodations as a crutch,\u201d he said. \u201cI put myself in the same circumstances everyone else does, so I can try to grow. Accommodations aren\u2019t cheating.\u201d Generally speaking, both of Mrs. Rollins\u2019 children have had very positive experiences with their school journey. Mrs. Rollins accounts that she has seen the steps her son has taken along the way to be where he is today, which include choices and coping skills, strong academic standing and good friendships. Rollins raves about his caseload manager. \u201cMy caseload manager has helped me in more ways than one, by just talking to me, helping me schedule tests, issues with other kids,\u201d Rollins said. \u201cWhen there were problems, my caseload manager really helped me maneuver through them. So, I\u2019m really fortunate to have a really good caseload manager.\u201d Like Rollins, Johnson has encountered some teachers that have been beneficial to her child. \u201cI like that I know a few of the TSD special education teachers that have our special education student\u2019s back,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThey stand up for what our special education students legally have a right to. They stand up to the negative stereotypes and they believe in our special education students\u2019 ability to be academically successful. They see their strengths and make them feel valued.\u201d Out of all of Rollins\u2019 teachers throughout the years, he can only recount one teacher that gave him a hard time. \u201c[My teacher] had a lot of preconceived notions and would only follow those notions,\u201d Rollins said. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t very accommodating and he would often put me in bad situations where I was set up to fail. He didn\u2019t give me a chance to succeed.\u201d A possible preconceived notion is that special education is a place where students are sent, in exile. Karly Didocha, resource room teacher and testing accommodations coordinator, stresses that special education is not a place. \u201cSpecial education is a system of support,\u201d she said. \u201cStudents that receive special education services are Troy High students, just like everyone else, that simply require some supports to receive an equal shot at education.\u201d An equal shot at education was a struggle for Samantha Griffin\u2019s son, a graduate who received services through his years at Troy High. \u201cHe was not always given the same opportunities as other students,\u201d Griffin said. \u201c[The school would] automatically [place him] in special education classes that we did not sign up for.\u201d Unlike Griffin\u2019s son, Josh Wu, a student with an IEP, has had a more positive perspective and experience with special education. He he had learned how to do math better and his homework in class more efficiently. He believes that his caseload manager has helped him a lot. \u201cI like learning and I like the way [special education teachers] teach,\u201d Wu said. \u201c[My caseload manager] always asks me, \u2018How are your classes going and do you need any help?\u2019\u201d Griffin accounts for some helpful teachers along the way, similar to Wu. \u201cI think the triumphs are from the staff that took the time to understand [my child\u2019s] learning style and that he was more than capable when provided the right supports,\u201d Griffin said. Didocha sees the value in her fellow teachers. \u201cWe have a great team of teachers, social workers, speech pathologist and psychologist here at Troy High,\u201d she said. \u201cWe all work very well together to meet the needs of all students the best we can. We collaborate and help each other as best we can. Every special ed staff member here has the best interest of every student at heart.\u201d For Rachel Adams, a graduate of Troy High, she sees more downfalls to special education than positives and sees the divide between general education students and students who receive services. She did not believe Troy High\u2019s special education system prepared her for future education. Adams said that the school would pass her in classes with an A or B without teaching her how to study or how to take tests. \u201cPeople think that we are not smart,\u201d she said. \u201cWe work twice as hard as everyone else to get our work done. Even though we get extra help, that does not mean that we get the answers to tests or that we get to skip homework.\u201d Didocha is in agreement with Adams that there are misconceptions with accommodations. She believes this is a stereotype that some people believe, and would like to debunk it. \u201cSpecial education students learn differently,\u201d Didocha said. \u201cThey have not done anything wrong. They are not lazy. They want to do well. They simply need help learning and showing what they have learned in a traditional setting.\u201d Students who receive services through special education are just as much a student and a person as those who don\u2019t. Special education is not a place where students are sent to be permanently removed from the rest of general education. It\u2019s not the intention. It\u2019s not the purpose. Different isn\u2019t a bad thing. \u201cSped\u201d is a derogatory term, same with \u201cretard.\u201d Just because someone receives services, doesn\u2019t make them stupid. Getting accommodations isn\u2019t cheating. \u201cPeople are capable of whatever they set their mind to,\u201d Rollins said. So, spread around the right narrative. Knowledge is power. When one walks through these hallways, they might just be walking past the next Thomas Edison.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Kaitlyn Piggott The Chariot Troy HS 1st Place Division 1, News Writing In-Depth Feature JUDGING CRITERIA Lead captures attention, arouses curiosity Topic relevant to interests and\/or welfare of school or students Extensive, intensive and thorough investigation Effectively combines basics of good news and feature writing Effectively organized with smooth transitions; carefully outlined Sentences, paragraphs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4490,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[59,4],"tags":[175,20],"class_list":["post-4488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","category-indepthfeature","category-nw","tag-2019-20","tag-division1","post_format-post-format-image","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-8-9-DONE.png?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-8-9-DONE.png?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Joel Beeker","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=9"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Page-8-9-DONE.png?fit=2308%2C1322&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-1ao","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4488"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4488\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4490"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}