Key points:
The demand for special education services is increasing, with about 15 percent of public school students eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). At the same time, education leaders at the state and local levels report they are short staffed.
Now more than ever, as special education staff work to manage mounting caseloads, while ensuring each unique student receives the high-quality services they deserve, these dedicated employees deserve praise.
With the Thanksgiving holiday around the corner, we asked the nation’s top female district leaders why they are grateful for their special education staff. Here’s what they said.
Special education staff are “rare and wonderful.”
Every district leader we interviewed agreed: It takes a special kind of person to be a special education teacher or support professional.
“It’s a rare and wonderful human being who steps up to serve in special education,” said Susan Enfield, superintendent-in-residence of ILO Group and former superintendent of Washoe County School District in Nevada. “All of us in public education get up every day believing the impossible is possible. And for our colleagues who serve our students with special needs, who need more than others, they give more. They are entitled to as much gratitude and love and support as we can give them.”
“There’s a great sense of gratitude for the group of people who everyday have committed their life to the work and the well-being of students who struggle, to the work and well-being of students who are not readily accepted by all of our schools and our communities, and to the families who are wanting to make sure that their kids get what they need to be able to move forward,” agreed Carolyn Quintana, former deputy chancellor of teaching and learning for New York City Public Schools, echoed that sentiment. “These are folks who come in with passion and commitment, who never shirk an opportunity to get additional training and to learn and to expand, who always walk in with great ideas and new ways to think about supporting students.”
“No matter what is going on, the ups, the downs, they are resilient,” said Nerlande Anselme, superintendent of Rome City School District in New York. “They show up, they come to work joyfully, and they’re always thinking about putting kids first.”
Special education staff are advocates.
These special staff members are advocates for students, says Mary-Anne Sheppard, executive director of leadership development of Norwalk Public Schools in Connecticut.
“When I can see a young student advocating for what they need inside of a classroom or advocating for what is not working for them, that’s the footprint of our special education educators,” she said.
Rachel Alex, executive director of leadership development of Aldine Independent School District in Texas, said special education staff “push in” with teachers, administrators, and parents.
“They stay in the work, stay in the fight, stay true to meeting the needs of all students,” Alex said. “They really think about all. Thank you for championing our students who don’t have a voice and who are forced to fit into what is normal and not what’s appropriate.”
Special education staff truly meet students’ diverse needs.
Kyla Johnson-Trammell, superintendent of Oakland Unified School District in California, said special education staff are some of the most brilliant educators because they truly understand how to differentiate instruction to meet diverse students’ needs. All educators can learn from the “wisdoms and jewels” of their peers in special education when it comes to planning, instructional design, and communication with families, she said.
“We’re so indebted to those talented educational professionals that we have in the special education space because they actually do have a lot of the answers to some of the things that we’re doing when we’re trying to fix problems around the edges,” Johnson-Trammell said.
Special educators are invaluable–to schools, to students, to families.
Two of the leaders, Margaret Crespo and Penny Schwinn, talked about the impact special education staff have made on their professional–and personal–lives.
“As a parent of a student on an IEP, but also as a lifelong educator, I can’t thank our specialists enough for the incredible work they do,” said Crespo, superintendent-in-residence of ILO Group and former superintendent of Laramie County School District in Wyoming. “The lifts they provide for general education teachers and for the rest of us as parents is really incredible.”
Schwinn, vice president for PK-12 and pre-bachelor’s programs at the University of Florida and a former Tennessee State Commissioner of Education, echoed that sentiment. Schwinn’s daughter also has an IEP, and she praised her daughter’s therapist for helping her daughter make gains without ever making her feel different.
“Never once did [my daughter] feel embarrassed or feel afraid about her disability. She felt like it was just something unique and special about her, and she was working really hard,” Schwinn said. “That wasn’t just a function of my daughter. That was a function of her teacher and her team who motivated, encouraged, and elevated her.”
Schwinn added, “I could not be more grateful for the work that our special educators do and the support staff because it changes lives.”
Heather Sanchez, chief of schools for Bellevue School District in Washington, said though education can sometimes feel like a thankless job, special education staff must remember what they do has incredible impact.
“There’s a veritable army of people behind you cheering you on because nobody else can do what you do,” Sanchez said, “and we need you.”
Interviews were conducted by Presence, a provider of special education-related and mental health assessments and teletherapy services for K-12 schools, as part of its Visionary Voices video series. Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
