15 years ago I was a teacher. My goal was to help each student learn to the best of their ability. I used differentiated instruction as much as possible and made sure to always look for ways to connect with students, especially the ones that had never experienced success in academics (or at least not in science) before.
Now I'm out of the classroom, but helping each student succeed is still a priority for me. That's why I chose to lead the Southern Maryland Action Coalition's task force on Education and why I am a proud member of the Closing the Gap Coalition. Our group is made up of a diverse group of individuals, some with educational backgrounds, others with backgrounds in social services, healthcare, library services, religion, and more. We have some who are retired, and some at the beginning of their careers (and most in between). We have both African American and Caucasian, men and women... and we all work together (a model a few other county groups could learn something from)!
Today we spent time talking about our latest meeting with the superintendent of the Calvert County Public School system and some of his administrative staff. We had some concerns about special education. We gave them a list of questions which they have yet to answer (they promised an answer by the end of February). So we will continue to put pressure on CCPS to make sure that they are not only meeting their legal obligations, but also their moral obligations to ensure a quality education for ALL students, even those with special needs.
We also heard from an advocate about services he and his company can provide, including some of the legal measures that can be taken if the school fails to live up to their obligation to provide an appropriate education for each child.
Our group began gathering about a year ago and at that time set up a few areas we wanted to spend some additional time looking into. From that point on, the deeper we have dug into these issues, the more digging and advocating we have found that needs to be done.
We want to partner with the school system, to help them understand the concerns of the community, and to help them reach out to the community (we have extensive networks that may not otherwise hear about events the school is sponsoring). But - in addition to providing support, we also want them to know that we are a force to be reckoned with. We have power, because we have a number of citizens groups that we work with... and there is power in numbers. We will be a prophetic voice and we will hold them accountable as necessary.
As a parent of a child who has an Individual Education Program (IEP), I feel for families who face much larger struggles than we do. As a former educator, I know how the ideal accommodations can be challenging to implement in the classroom. As a person of faith, I see it as a moral necessity for each teacher and administrator to continually strive to reach all students and help each of them not just "meet the standard", but do the best that they can.
Today, I pray for students, teachers, administrators, school board members, para-educators and other support personnel in our schools, and communities which value education. Won't you join me?
Now I'm out of the classroom, but helping each student succeed is still a priority for me. That's why I chose to lead the Southern Maryland Action Coalition's task force on Education and why I am a proud member of the Closing the Gap Coalition. Our group is made up of a diverse group of individuals, some with educational backgrounds, others with backgrounds in social services, healthcare, library services, religion, and more. We have some who are retired, and some at the beginning of their careers (and most in between). We have both African American and Caucasian, men and women... and we all work together (a model a few other county groups could learn something from)!
Today we spent time talking about our latest meeting with the superintendent of the Calvert County Public School system and some of his administrative staff. We had some concerns about special education. We gave them a list of questions which they have yet to answer (they promised an answer by the end of February). So we will continue to put pressure on CCPS to make sure that they are not only meeting their legal obligations, but also their moral obligations to ensure a quality education for ALL students, even those with special needs.
We also heard from an advocate about services he and his company can provide, including some of the legal measures that can be taken if the school fails to live up to their obligation to provide an appropriate education for each child.
Our group began gathering about a year ago and at that time set up a few areas we wanted to spend some additional time looking into. From that point on, the deeper we have dug into these issues, the more digging and advocating we have found that needs to be done.
We want to partner with the school system, to help them understand the concerns of the community, and to help them reach out to the community (we have extensive networks that may not otherwise hear about events the school is sponsoring). But - in addition to providing support, we also want them to know that we are a force to be reckoned with. We have power, because we have a number of citizens groups that we work with... and there is power in numbers. We will be a prophetic voice and we will hold them accountable as necessary.
As a parent of a child who has an Individual Education Program (IEP), I feel for families who face much larger struggles than we do. As a former educator, I know how the ideal accommodations can be challenging to implement in the classroom. As a person of faith, I see it as a moral necessity for each teacher and administrator to continually strive to reach all students and help each of them not just "meet the standard", but do the best that they can.
Today, I pray for students, teachers, administrators, school board members, para-educators and other support personnel in our schools, and communities which value education. Won't you join me?
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