Advocating for Students with Learning Disabilities

Advocating for Students with Learning Disabilities
Valerie Popielarcheck
Supervision of Special Education
02/2014
Although I’ve taught Special Education for the majority of my teaching career, I
always like to look for ways to advocate for students rights. So many school districts are
now utilizing the full inclusion model or mainstreaming their special education students
into the general education classroom and having the special education and general
education teachers co-teach. I applaud this on many levels; however, I’ve met much
resistance in my own experiences. After you experience many disturbing comments, not
only addressed to your own teaching abilities but the negativity towards the students you
are trying to reach in a general setting becomes disheartening and you become
discouraged in your profession. Why are your students that are in SPECIAL Education
being taught in the general education classroom? The majority of the students have
attention problems as it is and now we are going to put them in a room with copious
amounts of students and information; of course they’ll be able to hang in there with those
students.
There are multiple ethical tenants that must be followed and understood by those
of us who plug away in the field of special education. You have to be a confident
individual and you must be able to collaborate and interact with not only your
supervisors, students, co-teacher but also parents and the community. You must always
remember, and sometimes remind yourself that the CHILDREN you teach are the
primary reason you are in the school doing what you are doing, not the teachers, not the
parents, not the community, but the children. They need you, your confidence, your
support and your advocacy for their academic success. So what are some effective
techniques you can use to help meet the needs of your students while dealing with the
everyday school “political” workplace?
1. The principal is the key player in the school. You have to believe that your
principal is there to support you and cooperate with you to help promote these
children. Have faith that s/he will help you and provide you with advice when in
doubt.
2. Find a mentor in the building who is successful and respected. S/he will be able to
provide you with invaluable information on what s/he has seen or done in their
past experiences.
3. Make yourself visible. You are going to need everyone on your side of the fence if
you want to decrease prejudices towards these students. Be polite to all the
teachers, secretaries, custodians and even the lunch ladies to help you advocate for
your students. Don’t complain about the students; compliment, support and smile
when you speak of your students.
4. Promote the idea that some of the concepts you include in your specially designed
instruction segment of an IEP may be beneficial to even the brightest students who
are in the class. Everyone gets confused about something, and utilizing your
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“special” techniques can help others realize that Special Education Strategies are
effective with children at all levels.
5. Organize Teacher Assistance Teams, similar to SAP. A team that consists of
teachers and support staff that meet at an informal setting to discuss and
brainstorm ideas for a student that is having a particular problem or difficulty in
class be it academically or behaviorally. The group can then brainstorm ideas and
get multiple ideas on how to help resolve that students issues. Some teachers have
a better rapport with some students’ parents and if that teacher advocates for you
there may be less resistance, especially if you are new to the building.
6. If you are having problems with a colleague, leave it at home. Do not share your
personal opinions with others and spread gossip. It is unprofessional and unfair to
impose bias on others.
7. Be positive and upbeat about your students. DO NOT talk about how difficult, or
challenging “these kids” can be to work with educationally. This will only cause
your colleagues to be less willing to work with them and you.
8. Help others and they will help you. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” If
you help teachers who are on Yearbook, or Writing Committees complete extra
work perhaps they will be less hesitant to “help” you with the learning support
students.
9. Deal with conflict effectively. Try to see everyone’s perspective. If you are having
a conflict with a teacher, again LEAVE IT AT HOME. Your sole responsibility is
the children and if you are having conflicts with other teachers, the students will
eventually pick up on the stress and it will impact them.
10. Don’t ever get involved in gossip or destructive rumor spreading. Again, negativity
will not help your cause. If you hear something, go to your supervisor and get
clarification.
There are different ways to seek and receive help from general education teachers, and
the most resourceful way is PERSUASION! As a learning support teacher you must be
very resourceful and very motivated. You have to be able to persuade your colleagues to
provide not only yourself but your students with support, extra time, extra energy, and
resources that learning support children require. You must try and see things from their
perspective in order to properly persuade them to benefit your cause. When trying to
persuade your colleagues, you should incorporate the following:
1. Visualize the benefits of your idea: Show the teachers how the child, school, and
the teachers will benefit.
2. Prepare yourself for contradictions and objections: Think of issues that may arise
from your colleagues and prepare for effective solutions.
3. Be agreeable…even if you don’t agree: Be willing to cooperate and make
adjustments to your thinking beliefs. Be sure to let your colleagues know that you
see their point and suggest ways on how to compromise.
4. Own your own mistakes or miscalculations: If you didn’t think of the solution,
don’t say you did and if the idea you had is not effective then be willing to admit it
and take others suggestions.
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5. Don’t insist on having an immediate answer or response to your request. Make a
recommendation about a student and then if time does not permit for both of you
to put your objectives on the table, be willing to meet up at a later time to
continue the discussion.
6. Also try the “Discovery” method. When you make your suggestion seem like your
colleagues idea.
Teachers who do not teach special education, and are seasoned teachers are very hesitant
not only to having special education students in their rooms, but to have a co-teacher
present as well is very difficult to accept. Teachers are creatures of habit and once they
get into a good routine that is effective they do not want to share their space or their
ideas with “special” people. You will confront a lot of objections when advocating for
students with disabilities. This does not mean that the teacher is uncaring or insensitive;
it’s that their objections are often rooted in past practice, unavailability of time or
resources. The most common objections confronted by those who advocate include:
1. Insistence to adhere to longstanding policies and procedures
2. Resistance to making exceptions
3. Resistance to setting a precedent
4. Insufficient training for teachers
5. Insufficient staffing
6. Unavailability for services
7. Commitment to a one-size-fits-all approach
8. Insufficient funding
9. Feeling overwhelmed
10. Lack of understanding of the legal aspects that surround a student identified
A study done in 2001 by Galen Alessi revealed that, “the five factors contributing to a
child’s failure/frustration in school include, inappropriate curriculum, ineffective
teaching, ineffective school management practices, in adequate family support and child-
based problems / disabilities.” Primary causes being parent / home factors and child
based problems.
Your indispensable ally in the building is the principal. It doesn’t matter how devoted or
how talented your faculty is, the child’s parent body is or how committed you are, unless
you have the full support of the principal the children will not get reactive, efficient
services. If you have a principal who is quick to respond to a child’s needs then you will
have an exceptional school program. There is research that states that many principals
hold negative feelings towards Special Education and consider those students “draining”
to the school system. A principal must understand and embrace certain concepts, and
you as the student advocate must make these concepts comprehendible to the principal:
1. Change is not an event, it is a process
2. Change requires intense preparation
3. If you are to organize change, the individuals involved must change as well
4. Change will occur from the top down
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5. Mandates do not make change work; only a supportive, sound and effective
process enables change
6. change will only be effective if it has adequate support
7. Students are entitled to services. You aren’t doing anyone a favor by creating and
implementing responsive programs. You are however doing your job.
8. You must view each child as an individual. There is no one, solitary program that
works effectively with all kids… hence, INDIVIDUALIZED Education Plan. Even
though some students have the same diagnosis or label, if the child can’t learn the
way we are teaching the materials we need to teach the way that child WILL learn.
9. Special Education is a flexible set of services and supports. It is a living, breathing
entity, not just a placement or a program.
10. Successful Special Education programs are not isolate. They do not exist in a
bubble, nor do they strive detached from the general program. Special Education
must be an integral and vital part of the school culture.
When you have a principal who is hesitant to work with you, do not become
frustrated or angry, instead try to view the situation and issues from his / her
perspective. Try to keep your supervisory informed of any problems that may be
brewing. Don’t want until a small problem blows up into a crisis. Even if you see a
child with behavioral problems that perhaps “isn’t himself this morning”, let your
principal know as soon as possible. This way everyone can act proactively instead of
defensively. If you know of a child whose parents are having difficulties then mention
it to the principal. The last thing you want to do is have your principal blindsided and
then have them know that you had information on the situation. Also, bring him /
her solutions to the problem. People enter the principal’s office all day long with
problems and no solutions, so if you enter the office with a problem and have a
solution to offer it not only clearly demonstrates that it may prevent potential conflict
but it also gives the principal input into a decision so that they are more likely to be
committed to a successful outcome. Also try and share good news with the principal,
do not only go into the office when you have a problem or a request; s / he will
eventually dread to see you if that is the only reason you stop. Do not over use the
office for disciplinary action. Try and handle most disruptive behaviors on your own.
If you always send students to the office for disciplinary issues then you will begin to
develop a reputation that you can not deal with disruptive behavior and the students
will continually push you to the edge so that they can get out of class. Make sure you
abide by the rules and schedules set forth. Impress your principal by doing your job;
be punctual, submit paperwork on time, stick to the schedule, be positive and
volunteer to help others.
In order to be a successful remember the “Eleven P’s” and these will enable you to
enhance your collaboration and cooperation amongst your colleagues, supervisor and
students.
1. Principal: Gain his / her support.
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2. Problem solver: Be views as a person who solves problems, rather than create
them.
3. Planning: Have specific, observable, understandable goals for each student.
4. Practical: Provide colleagues with suggestions / solutions that are workable.
Consider their time, energy, and financial restraints as well.
5. Participate: Be active and contribute to the school community.
6. Passion: Share your passion and energy with your colleagues.
7. Positive: Remain positive when dealing with colleagues, parents, students and
work requirements.
8. Potential: Be mindful of the potential in each of your students
9. “Polish the Apple”: Give compliments and praise others willingly and often
10. Prepare: Always have evidence and data to support your suggestions.
11. Protect: The most important is to PROTECT. Protect all students from harm,
humiliation, or hurt. This is your sacred duty and you simply cannot stand by
and watch while a student suffers.
Lavoie, Rick. "Fighting the Good Fight." LD Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr 2014.
<file:///C:/Users/Valerie/AppData/Local/Temp/Low/KHBXND8U.htm>.
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Advocating for Students with Learning Disabilities

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