Teaching Special Education
"By providing opportunities for students to succeed, especially students who have been systematically excluded, it is possible to change those internalized beliefs about their abilities and build belief in their potential to be citizens who can make a valuable contribution."
-2005 Oakland Teaching Fellow and special education teacher
The Facts
- 30% of our nation's positions for college professors in special education go unfilled every year; 3,000 fewer special education teachers are trained as a result. Multiply by sixteen children per teacher, and our nation is looking at 48,000 children affected by a lack of special education classroom teachers in one year alone.*
- In the first year of the Oakland Teaching Fellows program, 98% of the special education classrooms in OUSD started the school year with a highly-qualified teacher--a dramatic increase from previous years.**
What is special education?
Special education is a legal definition for programs that provide greater resources for certain students. "Special education" does not refer to a specific location or fixed concept but rather includes a broad range of student services from a smaller, more individualized learning environment, to assistive technology, to a modified curriculum that capitalizes on a student's particular strengths. Under the law in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all students are provided services that support their needs.
Many educators agree that while a special education teacher needs more specialized training, effective special education teachers are just very good teachers--consistent, creative, and committed to implementing strategies and tracking student progress. Individuals from all academic or professional backgrounds can apply to become an Oakland Teaching Fellow in special education. Candidates do not need to have previous experience or training in special education. The Oakland Unified School District needs teachers to take on the role of educator, advocate, specialist and leader in our classrooms for children with special needs. According to OUSD's Program for Exceptional Children, over 3,700 children in the District receive special education services and need a teacher who will work hard for them. OUSD's Programs for Exceptional Children (PEC) is looking for individuals committed to holding all of our students to the high academic standards they deserve.
For more information on the history of special education and the movement to provide all children with a free and appropriate education (FAPE), visit the website for the Council for Exceptional Children.
For more information and resources for teachers, parents, and students involved in the special education system, visit the website for Learning Disabilities (LD) Online.
What do special education Fellows teach?
Every teacher in the public education system works with children with disabilities and therefore needs to understand and participate in the special education system. "Special education teachers" work largely or exclusively with students who qualify for services. Special education teachers teach academic subjects and social, emotional, and vocational skills like any other teacher. There is no such thing as "teaching special ed," rather teachers instruct in a special education setting.
As a special education teacher, Fellows teach academic subjects such as math, language arts, science, social studies, and much more. No matter what setting or grade level a Fellow teaches, he or she, like all Fellows, will be working to increase student achievement.
Oakland Teaching Fellows who teach in a special education setting with students who have mild-to-moderate disabilities will work with students who have difficulty in areas such as reading, math, writing, or communication. Fellows who express interest may also work in classrooms with students who have moderate-to-severe needs, focusing on the development of their students' academic, social, vocational, and independent living skills. Fellows may also teach in early childhood special education classrooms, working with three and four year old children who have special needs, focusing on promoting student growth in cognition, social interactive and play skills, language/communication competence, gross and fine motor development, pre-academic, and self care skills.
Read below to learn about the experiences of two Fellows who made the decision to increase student achievement by teaching special education.
Pauline Nishi
2005 Fellow
Degree: B.A., Art History, UC Santa Barbara
Teaching Position: Young adult transition program, Community Immersion Project
Pauline received her degree in Art History from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to her career change through Oakland Teaching Fellows, Pauline worked in a number of education-related positions, ranging from student financial aid counselor to substance abuse counselor. As an entrepreneur, she also launched a successful independent catering and gift basket business. Through OTF, Pauline has combined her commitment to students and her knowledge of business practices to help the students in her program, young adults learning life skills, launch and help run a lunch bistro.
When asked about her teaching experiences in Oakland, Pauline says, "I am most excited by the potential for improvement in the young adult program. Transition is a critical period for our youth, as they phase out of the school system and prepare to enter the adult world. My credential studies at SF State are immediately applicable to my program. I have been given the green light by OUSD to dream big and devise ways of helping students access the community successfully. I get a lot of encouragement to do the best that I can – utilizing all of my past experiences."
Mary Claire L. Gatmaitan
2006 Fellow
Degree: M.A. Education, Special Education, San Francisco State University
M.A., Education, Organization and Leadership, University San Francisco
B.A.,Political Science, UC San Diego
Teaching Position: Special Education, Skyline High School
Mary Claire spent over a decade working in the non-profit sector before joining Oakland Teaching Fellows. She decided to enter the teaching profession because it allowed her to have a more direct impact on student success while also allowing her to utilize her creativity. Today Mary Claire enjoys designing lessons and assessments that measure her students' growth and progress.
When asked to describe her teaching experience thus far, Mary Claire says, "Teaching is the hardest thing I've ever done. Every day is challenging and rewarding. Nothing compares to the gratification I feel when I have connected with a student and I eventually notice how much he/she has progressed."
Mary Claire admits that there are many challenges a classroom teacher faces. "Behavior issues arise repeatedly when working with students with disabilities. However, it is exciting to figure students out and chip away at the issues to finally break through." Mary Claire spends extra time observing her students and assessing what skills they need to develop in order to be most successful. She also spends a lot of time working with her students' parents to develop strategies that can be utilized at home and school. A central component of her program is ensuring students are developing both academic and life skills. She is determined that all students have the ability to learn, achieve, and contribute to their community. She takes her students into the community 2-3 times a week. They have a weekly Cooking Integrated Program, and plan annual fundraisers. Her goal is to provide her students a quality education that will benefit them throughout their life. She offers this advice to future Fellows, "Wear an imaginary backpack of strategies and tools and be ready and vigilant. Never give up and continue to advocate for what is best for your students. Always put your game face on, wear running shoes, have hand sanitizer, and know where the bathroom is.
To connect with Fellows who currently teach in special education classrooms and learn more about various special education settings, send an email with your name, phone number, and question or request to observe to Connect@OaklandTeachingFellows.org.
What are the benefits of teaching special education?
Special education is designed around the concept of individualized curriculum. Classes are smaller, and the teacher has the opportunity to get to know students and their families at a much more personal level. The teacher's job is to meet educational goals that have been tailored to the needs of a particular student and write ambitious new goals each year as (s)he meets with a team that assesses the child's progress and determines next steps in the student's education. Fellows teaching special education are responsible for using other teachers as resources, building relationships throughout the school site to support learning in the classroom. Fellows in this setting may also design individualized schedules so that students participate in academic classes with their grade-level peers for a portion of the day.
One of the most exciting aspects of teaching in a special education setting is the opportunity to be both = teacher and trailblazer by working to develop real skills in students and produce concrete gains that change students' perception of themselves. While teachers are first and foremost responsible for academic goals, they also work to develop a positive school environment for students with special needs and take on leadership roles on campus. Teachers encourage students to participate in all aspects of school life and become a liaison to ensure that students receive the same opportunities as their counterparts taking a mainstream course load. As a case manager, special education teachers monitor students' progress and report to families and other teachers, while at the same time relying on organizational skills to develop individualized tracking systems and manage case-related paperwork. Fellows will receive specialized training and support through their credentialing program and the District's Programs for Exceptional Children department. In addition, Fellows attend professional development events coordinated by the Oakland Teaching Fellows program.
While there are many challenges in this setting – students are often far behind their academic potential, many have internalized negative assumptions about their abilities, and special education teachers need to balance the demands of teaching and case management–there are enormous rewards. Teachers in a special education setting have the potential to see significant growth in students' abilities and join a civil rights movement to ensure that all children have access to an outstanding education.
Teachers of special education can make a difference with kids who have consistently not been given opportunities and tools to be academically successful and special education teachers often cite strong personal relationships with students and their families, as well as smaller class sizes, as additional reasons for teaching in a special education setting.
For more information about teaching special education in Oakland, visit the website for OUSD's Programs for Exceptional Children.
Your experience is needed. Your skills can put the next generation of Oakland students on a different track in life.
*** Smith, D.D., Tyler, N.C., Pion, G., Sinedelar, P.T., & Rosenburg, M.S., "T he Shortage of Special Education Faculty: Why It Is Happening, Why It Matters and What We Can Do About It," 2001
**** Statistics provided by OUSD's Programs for Exceptional Children
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