Name: Alan Ellis
Position: Academic Intervention Specialist, Alternatives In Action High School & Lazear Middle School
Position: Academic Intervention Specialist, Alternatives In Action High School & Lazear Middle School
What led you to your current position?
For most of my adult life, I've worked in varying capacities with young people, adults, educators, and people with disabilities. In my most recent Special Education position, I worked for five years at an NPS for students with behavioral challenges as a high school classroom teacher and basketball coach. What led me to my current position was and is a desire to support and empower students in a General Education setting.
Favorite Quote
"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
What does your average day look like?
In the morning I try to do some self-care by exercising, reading, and eating a healthy breakfast. At work, I usually start and end my day by doing intervention prep and exchanging emails. The middle of my days are different depending on which school site I'm at, but my work with students is a mixture of having my own groups, pushing into classrooms, and meeting with students one-on-one. In addition to that, I meet with teachers, administrators, service providers, and families while working on the case management side of my role. In the evenings my partner and I enjoy cooking, reading, watching T.V., and playing games. We are both educators and value the importance of getting a good night's sleep.
Why do you do this work?
I believe that every person is on a spectrum of abilities, talents, and intelligences. The systems in which we live, including education, were not created and have not been maintained with that same belief. The reason I am engaged in this work is to empower students to recognize the strengths they already have and to work towards improvement in their areas of challenge. I am also passionate about collaborating with educators within the system to move towards an education model that is inclusive, accessible, and prioritizes all students.
What hope do you have for the future of All-In?
I hope All-In strengthens it's school partnerships within the Bay Area while continuing to be creative in the ways in which we support all our students and families.
For most of my adult life, I've worked in varying capacities with young people, adults, educators, and people with disabilities. In my most recent Special Education position, I worked for five years at an NPS for students with behavioral challenges as a high school classroom teacher and basketball coach. What led me to my current position was and is a desire to support and empower students in a General Education setting.
Favorite Quote
"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
What does your average day look like?
In the morning I try to do some self-care by exercising, reading, and eating a healthy breakfast. At work, I usually start and end my day by doing intervention prep and exchanging emails. The middle of my days are different depending on which school site I'm at, but my work with students is a mixture of having my own groups, pushing into classrooms, and meeting with students one-on-one. In addition to that, I meet with teachers, administrators, service providers, and families while working on the case management side of my role. In the evenings my partner and I enjoy cooking, reading, watching T.V., and playing games. We are both educators and value the importance of getting a good night's sleep.
Why do you do this work?
I believe that every person is on a spectrum of abilities, talents, and intelligences. The systems in which we live, including education, were not created and have not been maintained with that same belief. The reason I am engaged in this work is to empower students to recognize the strengths they already have and to work towards improvement in their areas of challenge. I am also passionate about collaborating with educators within the system to move towards an education model that is inclusive, accessible, and prioritizes all students.
What hope do you have for the future of All-In?
I hope All-In strengthens it's school partnerships within the Bay Area while continuing to be creative in the ways in which we support all our students and families.
RSS Feed