Interview with an educator

Interview with A special Education Professional. March 29th 2007.

Why did you choose to become a special educator?
I was 11 when I saw the movie “The Miracle Worker” and I wanted to be Ann Bancroft
I began working with the Death and taught myself finger spelling.
YMCA Perkins school for the blind and I was a coordinator for the homeless. It was way back in1974 before the days of IEP’S. I remember when IEP’s were 3 page carbon copied.

What is the best part about your work? Seeing people empowered by the small things I do.

What is most frustrating? Each week it changes. The biggest issue is the anti special education attitude which is due to limited funds and resources. Trying to get school board members to accept and understand the needs of Special Education is a challenge. The “duel system” is tough and a daily frustration.

What does your daily schedule look like? It varies – sometimes I am in my office fielding questions and other times out visiting school in the district, but the rise in responsibility means I spend more time in the office.

How much preparation time and time to consult with colleagues do you have in your schedule? Yes, I do have some preparation time, but not so much consultation with individuals. We tend to work as a group.

What would you want your students’ parents to know? How to advocate properly. The parents have a lot of information but they need to know how to advocate effectively for their children – it’s not about ego.

What is your experience of IEP meetings? In the past, I have been in all positions- Teacher, Special educator, and now as the Local Education Authority (LEA).

What might parents do to improve their relationship with their child’s educator and school system? The school needs to continue to work with partnering – do not take ‘No’ for an answer – and while some parents refuse to come to IEP meetings, we need to work to bring those who may need a little help to join the circle, over time.

How might the relationship with parents be improved? (As discussed above) – refer to a book by Ruby Payne, A Framework for Understanding Poverty. In considering what makes communication difficult we need to understand their own experiences, establish their strengths and their limitations. We need to appreciate that developmentally parents go through a process to understand, and accept their child. Communication can be difficult at times due to their degree of acceptance for who their child truly is, it is important for educators to take readings on this and realize they might be in one place and the parents in another, it is not a bad thing, just a thing to note when communication flow stalls.
Parents of spectrum kids may also be on the spectrum. We need to establishing were parent’s are developmentally – just as we would a student – that’s a great idea.
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What might parents do to improve their child’s education? Some parents need more skills, others have an attitude of entitlement and there is some lack of responsibility. Parents need education too, so we need to find a way to empower everybody.



Why do you think educators and parents often have an adversarial relationship?
We have to consider that the parents own educational experience has a bearing on how their view school “ I had trouble at school” a parent may eventually admit after several difficult meetings. For some parents school is very authoritative and coming to school brings back memories.

How might this be improved? These cases need constant tending and we need to reaffirm that their voices are heard.

How do you feel you contribute to the improvement of education for all children in New Hampshire (Qualified – how do you affect education, at state level)?
I attend regular meetings with all Special Education officials and collaborate with others – we all have the same concerns and address them through advocacy to the state. I was involved in the Brail bill and ongoing we need to lay the groundwork for people to come into the profession and replace the outgoing teachers who will be retiring. There will be great drain very soon.

Other comments -: Planning trip to Galway University to complete a study comparison on education.

Hope to find ways to reach those parents I describe as “catchable” those who with (just a little more time, educations or one more successful approach) would come on board to support their child’s education.

Easy IEP – It will improve over time.

Questions for the interviewer.

Can we collaborate? Yes absolutely!

Code of ethics for IEP teams (work in progress from educational interventions course at Antioch)

Keep me up to date with proposed parent support/action group, and the Person Centered Vision Planning services