Going back to school...

        So I did not just spend my spring break getting sun, I also visited Kennesaw State University. I am starting grad school there for Educational Leadership. I have been through tons of schools trying to find the program that suits my needs the best and finally have found one. My latest decision was between Georgia State and Kennesaw and Dr. Dishman at KSU finally swayed me. Both programs seem terrific but the catalyst for KSU was its law and data-driven focus. GSU is a research-based institution and the program there would be primarily research-driven. Why does law and data appeal to me? Well, with the direction education is going data is a huge controlling factor. Administrations’ are constantly pushing data-based evidence in order to develop new programs and classes that are based on the needs of their students. Educational legal matters are also increasing drastically and a full understanding of the law and what is allowed in imperative in a good administrator. With this degree i hope to bring special education more to the forefront and help to alleviate the negative stigma that is attached. With all that is going on with standardized testing and meeting AYP, many schools turn to special ed. as the scapegoat for their "failure". Unfortunately this pattern will not change until new instructional interventions and programs are implemented. Lets take a pseudo middle school for example. Let's say this middle school has 1000 students and 130 of them are in special education. Out of these 130 students, 30 of them (not including low-incidence populations) cannot read past a 3rd grade level. That is almost 1/4 of the special needs students that most likely will not pass the state standardized test (even with the accommodations/ modifications). Unfortunately many schools ignore the fact that they have a low reading level by not implementing a strategic reading intervention. No, an intervention probably would not get them on grade level, yet could facilitate their comfort and understanding on test.

I have heard many times that when teachers enter the administration sector they forget what it is like to be in the classroom. I take this observation very seriously and vow to never forget the struggles teachers go through. My main mission with entering this degree program is to help the teachers. I want to really listen to them and investigate their struggles and in turn examine ways to ease their concerns and troubles. I also will always maintain my special education perspective. My dream job would be as a special education curriculum developer for schools. I want to dedicate my time to finding the gaps and filling them with validated and reliable interventions and programs. I want to impress on general education teachers that differentiation is not a scary word but in fact a way to expel their creativity onto their students. All students are different learners and can benefit from multi-modal instruction. Accommodations and modifications can be an easy, as long as the teacher has confidence and knowledge of to how implement them. Inclusion of special ed. students does not have to be scary either, but it is to many because their is not always a good support system. Daily I here complaints from teachers as to how many special education students they have in their class, and yes I understand this can be hard, but it does not have to be. As a curriculum developer i want to help teachers find ways to teach to the strength of their special ed. students and not focus on their weaknesses. We ALL have strengths and this ALWAYS needs to be the starting point when education special ed. students. I want to encourage special educators to not fear I.E.P.'s but use them as a tool to really design a potent program for the student. I also want to encourage general education teachers to READ the whole IEP and truly become familiar with the student. Let me stop deviating though...

Soooo, if all goes according to plan, my application will be accepted at KSU and I will be starting this summer. Wish me luck and I promise to keep you informed about what I am learning and what ideas start to grow. ;)