Blog Archives

STAFF HIGHLIGHT

1/26/2017

Name: Alana Willhite
Position: School Psychologist

What led you to your current position?
I had been working at a residential treatment program and special education school for students with severe emotional and behavioral challenges for a few years when I decided I was ready to go to grad school for something related to special education. I chose school psychology without ever talking to an actual school psychologist, or fully understanding what a school psychologist does (definitely not a recommended way to go about choosing your future profession, but luckily it has worked out for me). After grad school at the University of Washington, I worked at a private autism inclusion school for a year and then for Seattle Public Schools for two years, before moving to the Bay Area and joining All-In! in 2014. After learning about the Unconditional Education model I was excited to join a program that emphasized focusing on pre special education referral interventions and supporting students and their families in all of their needs.

Fun Fact
I love to read pretty much everything and make it through a book or two a week. If you ever need a book recommendation, let me know!

What does your average day look like?
One of things I enjoy about being a school psychologist is that there isn’t a typical day. I spend time meeting 1:1 with students for assessment, which includes administering cognitive and processing tests and interviewing them around their feelings about school. I conduct play-based autism assessments with students. I observe students in class and consult with parents and school staff around behavior and learning challenges. I run social skills and counseling groups for students. I spend a lot of my time writing reports that I work hard trying to ensure are both useful to parents and teachers and that are also legally defensible. I attend IEP meetings where I explain the results of my evaluation and determine special education eligibility.

Why do you do this work?
Being a school psychologist in some ways feels like being a detective. I enjoy working to try and figure out what might be causing a student to struggle in school, and how we can use that information to figure out how we can best support that student. I get to meet so many students and families and every case is different and challenging in it's own way. I love learning about assessment and special education law and am always looking for ways that we can improve the special education process.

What hope do you have for the future of All-In?
I would love to see All-In! continue to develop our ability to support students with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other less common and more profound educational needs.

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: Lodestar

1/26/2017

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Imagine that your child is sick. You take her to the doctor to find out what is going on. The doctor checks her vitals, listens to her symptoms, and then prescribes her a blue pill.

“What is that? What’s it for? How did you know how to give it to her?” you ask the doctor.

“It’s easy,” she replies, and pulls out a calendar. “She’s 6, and it’s December, so this is what she needs.”

While we’re lucky that this isn’t how hospitals look, this is exactly how many schools look. Our schools are, by and large, driven by two organizing principles:

At Lodestar, the newest Lighthouse Community Public School in East Oakland, we’re doing some fundamental rethinking of these assumptions. We know that not all 6 year olds are in the same place, and we know that they learn things at different paces and along different paths. We also believe that the current factory model of education is not going to guarantee that students are ready for the jobs and communities of the future, which are shaped by a world that is increasingly global, interconnected, and powered by machine intelligence.

HOW ELSE CAN SCHOOL BE DESIGNED?

The philosophical underpinnings of Lodestar are complex, yet they manifest themselves in two central kinds of learning experiences (as of our Fall 2016, Year 1 implementation our model):

(1) Learning expeditions. Many schools divide what students learn into chunks of time -- right now we’re doing science, next we’re doing reading, after that, writing.

As adults, we know that the professional world doesn’t work this way. We are asked to use our disciplinary skills in complex, interdisciplinary contexts. What should we as humans do about climate change? About the complexities of global trade? About war and migration? These are not questions that are answered by science in one class and writing in another. They are by nature interdisciplinary and do not have simple, rote, black-and-white answers.

In line with the thinking of David Perkins’ Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World and many of the core principles of the EL Education network, we question the assumption that the majority of a student’s day should be spent passing from subject to subject.

Instead, our 2nd graders are asking: how does immigration affect us? Our K students are asking: where does our trash go, and why does this matter? These questions (and the learning around them) implicate reading, writing, science, social science, fieldwork, and community service without artificially separating these subjects.

(2) Math and Literacy Lab. We know that students learn at different speeds and in different ways. One area where we’re innovating in personalization is in our K-2 Lab, a multi-age reading and math environment. In this space, we create just-right learning experiences for students, regardless of their age, by flexing:

the pace at which students learn
the path of learning
the places where students learning
the people -- peers and teachers -- who students learn with

This means that students aren’t always grouped with students in the same grade. It means that they’re not always seen by the same teacher or for the same amount of time. It means that we’ve had to rethink the systems and structures that support students in working flexibly and independently. We’ve had to rethink what teachers do and what students do. And yet, this work is worth it because we can look students and families in the eye and tell them that students are grouped based on what they need -- and how their groupings will contribute to students’ optimum growth.

Instead of being calendared, our curriculum looks more like a flowchart -- if you know skill A, then you’re ready for skill B. Students demonstrate what they know through assigned classwork, and when they’re ready, they take a benchmark assessment which allows them the “level up” and work on the next module.

This approach is new, and we’re learning and innovating a lot. Our K-2 lab continues to grow and improve, all in service of making sure that students get what they need just when they need it.

A CALL TO ACTION

Lodestar is one answer to a call to make school more student-centered. We’re growing to be K-12 and are beginning to hire for the 2017-18 school year.

However, we know that we’re not alone in thinking that it’s time to rethink and redesign school. We’ve been inspired by the amazing community of teachers, students, parents, leaders, and community members across the country who are tirelessly working to reimagine school.
We invite you to join in the work of redesigning school.

What does this look like at your sites? In what ways can you rethink and reimagine the most fundamental design principles of school? How can the structure of school better prepare students to be lifelong changemakers working towards a more just, healthy, and joyful world?

Blog post written by:
Robbie Torney, Teacher at Lodestar

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STAFF GUEST POST: Normal Occurrences When Acquiring a Second Language

1/26/2017

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The number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in public schools is expected to grow to 40% of the school-aged population by 2030. Spanish and Asian languages are amongst the most common primary languages for English-language learners. And within that broad category of students acquiring English, they are children whose primary language may fall within the range of one of more than 100 different dialects.

Most experts agree that it takes between five and seven years to acquire academic English, the language needed to succeed academically and professionally. Students may acquire social language (the language used on the playground or in the cafeteria) much more rapidly, but there is frequently a gap between social and academic English.

So what happens to students during five-to-seven-year span of time they are acquiring English?
The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) lists the following as Normal Occurrences in English Language Learners during the period they are acquiring English.

Interference

ELL children may manifest interference or transfer from their first language (L1) to English (L2). This means that a child may make an English error due to the direct influence of an L1 structure. For example, in Spanish, "Esta casa es mas grande" means "This house is bigger." However, a literal translation would be "This house is more bigger." A Spanish-speaking child who said "This house is more bigger" would be manifesting transfer from Spanish to English. This is a normally-occurring phenomenon which is a sign of a language difference, not a language disorder.

Silent Period

Children may also manifest a common second-language acquisition phenomenon called the silent period. When children are first exposed to a second language, they frequently focus on listening and comprehension. These children are often very quiet, speaking less often due to their focus on understanding the new language. This same phenomenon occurs when babies acquire their first language and when adults travel to foreign countries.
The younger the child, the longer the silent period tends to last. Older children may remain in the silent period for a few weeks or a few months, whereas preschoolers may be relatively silent for a year or more.

Codeswitching

Many children who are ELLs also engage in a behavior known as codeswitching. This involves changing languages over phrases or sentences. For example, a Spanish-speaker might say, "Me gustaria manejar; I'll take el carro!" ("I'd like to drive; I'll take the car"). Or, a Tagalog-speaker might say, "With my teacher, I have utang ng loob [debt of gratitude] because she has been so good to me." Again, this is a normal phenomenon engaged in by many fluent bilingual speakers worldwide.

Language Loss

Some children who are ELLs undergo the phenomenon of language loss. As they learn English, they lose skills and fluency in L1 if their L1 is not reinforced and maintained. This is called subtractive bilingualism, and it can be cognitively and linguistically very detrimental to children's learning and to their family lives (especially if the parents speak only the L1 and no English). Ideally, children should experience additive bilingualism, in which they learn English while their first language and culture are maintained and reinforced.

Source: American Speech-Language and Hearing Association

LANGUAGE DISORDER VS. LANGUAGE DIFFERENCE

Children with a language disorder present with persistent difficulties acquiring and using language skills in their primary language.

Children with a language difference meet the communication norms of their primary (first language) community, but do not meet the norms of standard English.
It is important to distinguish these definitions so that English Language Learners are not misdiagnosed as having a language disorder, which can often be difficult to reverse.

WHAT IS HELPFUL FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS WHILE ACQUIRING ENGLISH?

Building Vocabulary: Label items, present items in categories, review the function of items
Receptive Language Skills: Give short one- or two-step directions. Provide children with a visual model of what is being asked. Play "I Spy," "Simon Says," or other imaginative games
Expressive Language Skills: Read books with no words, have children make up their own story. Provide students with a verbal model/sentence frame, “This is a ______.” “I want the______.” Ask open-ended questions and encourage more words, more words, more details in every response.
Play music. Sing to them. Narrate everything you do. And with every response they give, add a detail or additional few words to it, so they can hear how to enrich and expand language, e.g. child says, "Look- a car!" And adult responds, "You're right! I see the big, red car!"

Blog post written by:
Yoko Giron, Lead Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant

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SCHOOL VOUCHERS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS

1/26/2017

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The topic of school vouchers is in the national news these days, as President Trump has been inaugurated and the Senate is moving through confirmation hearings for Betsy DeVos, nominee for Secretary of Education. What are school vouchers? School vouchers are, as the name implies, vouchers-- for families to use to cover tuition at schools other than public schools. They are funded by the government, and are currently available in 14 states and Washington D.C. You can read more about school vouchers here: School Vouchers 101: What They Are, How They Work — And Do They Work?.

Let’s think about the students we serve. Many of them are eligible for special education and have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). If they were to use vouchers to attend private schools, what might this mean for their special education services and supports? Here are some key points from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, reauthorized in 2004:

Students with disabilities enrolled in private schools should still be evaluated and identified as eligible for special education, if applicable. Local public school districts are responsible for meeting child-find requirements. “Each LEA must locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities who are enrolled by their parents in private, including religious, elementary schools and secondary schools located in the school district served by the LEA” [34 CFR 300.131(a)] [20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(10)(A)(i)(II)]

When enrolling their child in a private school, parents waive their right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), and the services and supports that would be provided to their student with an IEP in a public school. “No parentally-placed private school child with a disability has an individual right to receive some or all of the special education and related services that the child would receive if enrolled in a public school.” [34 CFR 300.137] [20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(10)(A)]

If you’re interested in learning more about special education in private schools, here’s another website to peruse.

Wondering what this means and looks like in practice? What is the actual impact of school vouchers on students with special needs and their families? Here’s one article that gives some insight-- "Vouchers Put Some Parents in Squeeze on Special Ed Rights" . There are certainly varied experiences across various settings. If you have a personal experience to share, or find another article documenting a different perspective or experience, please share in the comments section!

Blog post written by:
Alli Guilfoil, Director of Academic Intervention

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STAFF HIGHLIGHT

1/12/2017

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Name: Karla Aguirre
Position: Bilingual Program Assistant

What led you to your current position?
I had the opportunity to work in the Office of Alternative Media for Chico State’s Resource Office which sparked an interest in Special Education. I was familiar with IEPs but Alt Media offered a different perspective. Being part of the Resource team led me to look for a job in SpEd/Education once I graduated.

Favorite Quote: “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” - Charlotte Bronte

What does your average day look like?
Driving to a school site, scheduling meetings, calling parents, supporting case managers, affirming and attesting IEPs and trying to keep up on emails. I have a ton of tiny moving pieces that make up my day!

Why do you do this work?
I do this work to help families such as my own. My younger brother had an IEP for many years and I remember my mom being in the loop but not quite understanding the process. I’ve seen Seneca bridge this gap for many of our families.

What hope do you have for the future of All-In?
I hope All-In can expand to more cities in California and hire more staff that meets the demographics in which we work in.

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STAFF GUEST POST: Flexible Seating: Meeting Our Students' Needs with Movement

1/12/2017

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As a special education related service provider, I have the privilege of working alongside many dedicated, tactful, and compassionate teachers in Oakland and San Francisco elementary schools. I’ve witnessed unwavering patience as educators calmly attempt to redirect students to regain focus and attention during lessons within the classroom, as movement increases and volume levels rise. Teachers are increasingly aware that off-task behaviors are often tied to sensory processing skills, and that kids with seemingly boundless energy, or those often fidgeting are not always making conscious “choices” to engage in these behaviors. Rather, students are doing the best they can, using what they have, to get their needs met. Sensory processing involves the ability to take in sensory input, then process the information effectively in order to respond and act upon the environment. In addition to the five senses that you are already familiar with (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and vision), there are additional senses that contribute to our body awareness and balance as we navigate through the environment. These include the proprioceptive and vestibular systems.

Proprioception is the sensory information produced by the contraction and stretching of muscles and by the bending, straightening, pulling, and compression of the joints. This information occurs primarily during movement, but also constantly relays sensory information to the brain regarding our position, even as we simply stand, or sit on a chair. “Heavy work” activities, such as running, jumping, swinging, pulling, stomping, and skipping provide additional proprioceptive input. Proprioception is a crucial component to our children’s development, as it increases body awareness and contributes to learning how much force is required for everyday tasks such as pushing a heavy door or snipping with scissors; or how much pressure is needed to draw, color, and write.

The vestibular system has its receptors in the inner ear and senses movement of the head in all planes. It is partly through the vestibular system that we know right side up, upside down, left, right, horizontal and vertical in relation to our bodies. Vestibular input also tells us if we are moving, how fast, and in what direction. Sensory input through the vestibular system “anchors” us in our environment.

Children who have difficulty with proprioceptive and/or vestibular processing may have difficulty with engaging effectively in their environment or they are often are poor self-regulators.
Depending on the child, sensory seeking (or avoiding) behaviors manifests in a number of different ways. Children experiencing differences in sensory processing skills are often trying to get their needs met using a number of adaptive strategies. Sometimes, these adaptive strategies are distracting to peers, or limit the child’s participation in class. Other times, students find a perfectly appropriate way to sit in a way that promotes sensory regulation, such as sitting in kneeling positon on the floor (instead of cross-legged), standing while writing, or even laying on the carpet while reading. Signs of sensory dysregulation may appear mild, such as minor fidgeting with materials on the table, or engaging in side conversations and laughter, to more extreme (e.g., crawling under tables, rocking, humming, speaking loudly, covering their ears, chewing on non-food items, jumping out of their chairs and walking/hopping/tip toeing around the room, or purposefully bumping into furniture and/or peers).

Kelsey Kleine is a 1st/2nd grade teacher at Lighthouse Community Charter School in Oakland, CA. She is acutely aware of the various learning styles, preferences, and sensory needs of her students. Recently, while looking for art supplies at Lakeshore Learning Center, she came across sensory cushions. She recognized these as viable options to support adaptive or “flexible seating” in her classroom. “Every kid can benefit from having a choice. For a year and a half now, they’ve been choosing a space within the classroom to read. They often sit next to a friend, not always making the best choices for where to do independent work. I thought, instead of repeating “Make a better choice!” what if I give them options that are enticing? They can practice, how to choose alternative sitting options that will help them remain safe and productive.” Ms. Kleine completely included students in the brainstorming process. They were able to tell Ms. Kleine where they would chose to read in the classroom. “Students told me they’d want to work on top of and under tables, even on the ceiling.” These types of responses reflect the students’ desires to have alternatives to the standard desk and chair, options which would change head and body position. Ultimately, Ms. Kleine and her students decided on including dynamic work space to allow for alternate positions during reader’s workshop in three different areas in the classroom. Initially, they will start off using sensory cushions, however a couple students already have flexible seating options to support sensory regulation, including bean bag chairs or choosing to sit on the carpet. If this trial proves to be successful, the class may expand to additional seated options, such as t-stools or standing desks.

Other teachers are also showing interest in meeting our students’ needs through dynamic, flexible seating that promotes regulation, attention and focus for learning. If you are an educator interested in learning more about implementing flexible seating for your classroom, the school occupational therapist will be able to support you in making the most out of your space!

Blog post written by:
Marika Minczeski, Occupational Therapist

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WHY SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT THE PATTERNS OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES MODEL?

1/12/2017

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One factor many educators new to the Special Education field may not be aware of is the various models used to identify whether or not a child in their school qualifies for services. There are three basic models of identification: the Discrepancy model, the Response to Intervention Model, and the Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses Model. In recent months the All-In! School Psychologists and other leadership team members have been a discussing the possibility of moving away from the discrepancy model of Special Education identification to the model of Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses. Current federal law favors the Response to Intervention model; however, Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses has been growing in popularity and our team believes it may be a perfect fit for our program.

To understand why our All-In! School Psychologist have been so interested and excited about the potential of making this switch, let’s take a brief look at these other models. First, let’s look at Discrepancy Model, still widely used nationally and by many of the school psychologists in our program. The Discrepancy Model compares a student’s full scale IQ score to academic test scores. If the academic tests scores are lower than the IQ score by a predetermined number (our school psychologists use 22 points, which is a frequent norm), then the student is considered eligible for services. While our school psychologist often utilize a cross-battery approach to assessment and look not just at full scale IQ, but also processing scores, does this model adequately assess whether or not a student a learning disability? I think in some cases it does; however, in the case of an intellectually gifted child, they may show a relative academic weakness based on their superior full-scale IQ, but this is not a true disability.

The Response to Intervention model focuses on student performance. If the student does not perform at a set level, the he or she is placed in an intervention group. If the student does not respond to the Tier 2 level of support after a particular time (typically six weeks), then they are either referred for evaluation or more intensive intervention. This model is often utilized in many of our schools implementing the RTI approach to intervention; however, there are many challenges for our school psychologists. Several of our psychologists ask: when students are identified for Tier 2 intervention groups, has a skill deficit been identified? Does the intervention address/target the specific area of deficit (i.e. reading fluency)? How is progress monitoring data collected? Is it collected with fidelity and does it adequately identify a student with a disability? Lastly, are practices among practitioners and schools consistent?

The Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses model generally uses cognitive evaluation, which breaks out the student performance into key areas: processing speed, ability to reason, long-term memory retrieval, short-term memory, working memory, auditory processing, and phonemic awareness. As I mentioned above in the Discrepancy model, our All-In! School psychologist also assess in all of these areas of functioning when evaluating a student for a specific learning disability; however, where our practice differs is that we don’t fully use this model to interpret student qualification for services. In order for a student to qualify under this model, the student must show a set number of cognitive strengths (often three), plus at least one cognitive weakness. The student must then additionally show an associated academic weakness in an area which matches the cognitive weakness (i.e. cognitive weakness in phonemic awareness and academic weakness in areas of reading).

The benefit of the Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses model is that it gives those designing interventions to the student the ability to identify specific cognitive areas of weakness. Say for example that a student demonstrates a weakness in phonemic awareness. It helps the teacher have better understanding of why the student is struggling with reading fluency and better design specific strategies to address the issue. Similarly, if a student demonstrates a weakness in processing speed it informs both teachers and parents that the student will need additional time to process information before responding to questions.

Knowing about the Patterns of Strengths of Weakness not only equips our School Psychologist and other team members with a tool for Special Education identification, but it also helps us as educators understand more deeply why a student is experiencing learning challenging. Additionally, the information ascertained from the Patterns of Strength and Weaknesses evaluation helps to inform our parents as to why their child may experience difficulties in other environments and aspects of their lives. This model is something many of School Psychologists already do; however, we need to take it to the next level and begin using the model for interpretation and identification of services.

Blog post written by:
Meka Tull, Director of School Partnerships/Director of Special Education at Lighthouse and Lodestar

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STAFF HIGHLIGHT

1/5/2017

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Name: Bria Lee
Position: Student Support Assistant

What led you to your current position?
My passion for wanting to educate youth who would have otherwise fell through the cracks within their respective communities.

What does your average day look like?
My average day is spent with the most adorable Kindergartener. Helping him to build his academic, cognitive, and social skills. My day starts off by organizing his schedule and making sure everything he may need is already set up for him before he walks into his classroom. Upon his arrival I verbally prompt him to put away his homework folder, lunch box, and backpack in the correct spots in order to support his self-sufficiency. Once he is settled I support him with providing visual supports for his day as well as with tools such as, handwriting without tears. I encourage him to verbally ask for what he needs using his designated sentence frames (I want, I need) and provide him with positive reinforcement when he does so. I encourage him to be an active participant within his classroom by prompting him to raise his hand when he wants to complete a classroom task (turning the lights on/off). I assist him with his day to day goals and track each of them so that he is able to see his success.

Favorite Quote:
"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." - John Dewey

Why do you do this work?
Everyone deserves the right to an education no matter the circumstances that they may face in their day to day lives. Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death. No one should be denied the right to an education simply because they may learn differently than others. I do this work to ensure that every child learns as much as they can.

What hope do you have for the future of All-In?
That it will continue to expand and build upon its practices.

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SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: New School of San Francisco

1/5/2017

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The New School of San Francisco opened its doors to students and families in August of 2015. Around 80 Kindergarten and First Grade students filled the hallways with smiles and anticipation. Each year the school enrolls a new cohort of up to 50 kindergarten students and intends to expand through the twelve grade.

The mission of NSSF is to demonstrate a holistic 21st century education that instills a love of learning now and prepares students and families for success in the future. Inquiry, inclusion, and equity are at the heart of the school's vision. Each teacher works alongside the parent and student to develop their Individualized Learning Plans, which tracks progress in all areas through differentiated strategies and goals. Through inquiry arcs and community partnerships, such as the Learning Lab and the Exploratorium, students are able to participate in experiential learning opportunities within their local San Francisco community.

The community at NSSF prides itself on framing their work around their values, which include being: Curious, Courageous, Kind, Respectful, and Responsible. With our partnership at NSSF, we are working to provide the conditions necessary to nurture and strengthen these values so that students my thrive academically, be self-reflective, be creative problem-solvers, and develop an authentic passion for learning, for one another and their communities.

Blog post written by:
AJ Wicks, UE Coach

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STAFF GUEST POST

1/5/2017

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My name is Karen and I am a Student Support Assistant at Lazear charter. I have been with Seneca since August and my skills and thought processes have changed tremendously. I've been working with this population for a year prior to Seneca. I've gained so much experience and learned so much at Seneca on how to approach children, the internal working model, language, and many more in 5 months. The numerous trainings has been greatly appreciated and made my professional growth excel.

There are many challenging days, however I think about the benefits the child will gain and how it is increasing my growth as an SSA and in the future, transitioning to a therapist. This job has helped me with graduate school, financially and academically. Often times when I am learning new material in class, it always relates to my occupation which makes school and work smooth and easy to retain information. This is an awesome opportunity for growth and to spread knowledge amongst peers and co-workers. The skills and experience that I am gaining and learning in school has increased my confidence in school to be on the track to becoming a well-versed therapist.

Blog post written by:
Karen Johnson, Student Support Assistant

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Welcome

STAFF HIGHLIGHT

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: Lodestar

STAFF GUEST POST: Normal Occurrences When Acquiring a Second Language

SCHOOL VOUCHERS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS

STAFF HIGHLIGHT

STAFF GUEST POST: Flexible Seating: Meeting Our Students' Needs with Movement

WHY SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT THE PATTERNS OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES MODEL?

STAFF HIGHLIGHT

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: New School of San Francisco

STAFF GUEST POST

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