Why I Teach: Paraeducator to Interagency Coordination Specialist

National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8–12, 2023

This Teacher Appreciation Week, a few Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Scholars who completed their degree programs with support from a Personnel Development to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities (ALN 84.325) discretionary grant administered by the Office of Special Education Programs shared “Why I Teach.”


Dana Page, Ph.D.

By: Dana Page, Ph.D.

I began my career in special education in 2006 as a long-term paraeducator. I was hired full time the following school year and worked as a paraeducator for many years before becoming a certified teacher. I taught students with emotional/behavioral disorders and loved it!

I also noticed how there weren’t many teachers who looked like me in the school building let alone the district. I wanted that to change as well as the disparities within special education related to the intersectionality of disability and race/ethnicity. This prompted me to pursue my doctoral degree at the University of Louisville where I received an OSEP Leadership Grant.

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Why I Teach: Training the Next Generation of Educators and Scholars

National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8–12, 2023

This Teacher Appreciation Week, a few Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Scholars who completed their degree programs with support from a Personnel Development to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities (ALN 84.325) discretionary grant administered by the Office of Special Education Programs shared “Why I Teach.”


Elaine Smolen, Ph.D., CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd

By: Elaine Smolen, Ph.D., CED, LSLS Cert. AVEd

I teach to ensure that every child who is deaf or hard of hearing can achieve their goals through language and literacy. I am hard of hearing, and I was proud to serve as a role model for my students when I worked as a classroom and itinerant teacher of the deaf. Now a Columbia University faculty member, I train the next generation of educators and scholars who will continue to revolutionize the field of deaf and hard of hearing education.

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Why I Teach: Helping Students Transition from High School to Their Futures

National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8–12, 2023

This Teacher Appreciation Week, a few Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Scholars who completed their degree programs with support from a Personnel Development to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities (ALN 84.325) discretionary grant administered by the Office of Special Education Programs shared “Why I Teach.”


Joanna Alvarez

By: Joanna Alvarez

I teach because my commitment to students in special education is my purpose of being a lifelong learner.

When my little brother was diagnosed with a disability six years ago, I was committed to learning how to support him in navigating his academic journey. I share the same commitment with my students in the classroom today.

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High Standards & Innovative Solutions: How Some States are Addressing the Special Educator Shortage Crisis

National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8–12, 2023

By Meghan Whittaker, OSERS Special Assistant

Today, more than 60% of students with disabilities spend at least 80% of their day in general classes. This wouldn’t be possible without special educators who help to customize curriculum that is accessible to all and ensure the individual needs of students with disabilities are met.

Special educators serve a critical role in our nation’s public school, yet 45% of schools reported vacancies in special education roles, and 78% reported difficulty in hiring special education staff. Special education teacher shortages have been a longstanding challenging in most states and have only worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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From the Pre-K — 12 Classroom to the University Classroom: Preparing Future Special Educators

National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8–12, 2023

This Teacher Appreciation Week, a few Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Scholars who completed their degree programs with support from a Personnel Development to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities (ALN 84.325) discretionary grant administered by the Office of Special Education Programs shared “Why I Teach.”


Lauren Zepp, Ph.D.

By: Lauren Zepp, Ph.D.

I teach because I believe that reading is a human right.

I am passionate about ensuring that all people, including those with disabilities, are taught the skills they need to become readers.

My teaching initially centered on providing high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction for students with disabilities. Since completing my Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with funding from a Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities (325D) grant, I now prepare future special educators to ensure all children learn to read at school. I teach because I make a difference every day, in the lives of my students and in the lives that they will touch as educators.

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Opportunity of a Lifetime: My Experience as an OSEP Scholar

National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8–12, 2023

This Teacher Appreciation Week, a few Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Scholars who completed their degree programs with support from a Personnel Development to Improve Services for Children with Disabilities (ALN 84.325) discretionary grant administered by the Office of Special Education Programs shared “Why I Teach.”


Stacy Kelly

By: Stacy Kelly, Ed.D., TVI, COMS, CATIS

I always knew with the highest degree of certainty from a very early age that I wanted to be a teacher. In 2005, I was living this dream working full-time as a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) in the public schools. I received a flyer from my colleague with boldface type font advertising across the top of the page “The Opportunity of a Lifetime.” Those words enticed me to read further.

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“Why I Teach” — Shirin Felfelti & Margaret Brewer-LaPorta

Teachers Change Lives at:

‪#‎WhyITeach


Shirin Felfelti

Shirin Felfelti

Shirin Felfelti

I became a special education teacher because working with students with special needs brings me so much joy. In high school I took an exploratory class called “Peer Facilitation.” I was not exactly sure what to expect, but I signed up. It turned out to be a blessing and the highlight of my high school years. In the class I spent an hour each day helping and participating with the special education class in P.E. I formed such amazing bonds with each of the students and I felt such joy being with them amid all the pressures of high school. That was when a seed was planted.

Once I got to college the idea of being a special education teacher came to fruition. Though as a beginning teacher I get anxious and unsure, the joy and pure love I receive from working with the students supersedes all insecurities I face.

Shirin Felfelti
Resource Teacher
Mathews Elementary School, Midland, Georgia


Margaret Brewer-LaPorta

Margaret Brewer-LaPorta

Margaret Brewer-LaPorta

Raised in poverty by an immigrant family, statistics claim that I should never have graduated from high school, let alone moved on to earn bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the geological sciences. After teaching at the college level for years, I became a student again, this time to earn a second masters in Inclusive Adolescent Education. All of my teachers opened the world to me. They taught me to believe in myself, and showed me how to fly higher than I ever dreamed possible.

Now I teach Earth Science at Monroe-Woodbury High School to students with disabilities. My students are bright and innovative. Yet due to their struggles with learning, they often lack faith in their own abilities. To pass on the gifts given to me, I teach to lift souls, to help my students find their wings, and to show them how to reach beyond their dreams.

Margaret Brewer-LaPorta, M.S., M.S.T., Ph.D.
Special Education Earth Science

Monroe-Woodbury High School, Central Valley, N.Y.

Pace University graduate. The program received an OSEP-funded grant:
84.325T: Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants


Shirin Felfelti
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Resource Teacher Mathews Elementary School, Midland, Ga.
Margaret Brewer LaPorta
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Special Education Earth Science Monroe-Woodbury High School, Central Valley, N.Y.

“Why I Teach” — White, Gaasbeek & Iobst

Teachers Change Lives at:

#‎ThankATeacher | ‪#‎WhyITeach


Kristin White

Kristin White

Kristin White

I grew up in a small town that lacked a strong educational system. Due to our size and lack of funding, not much was offered in the way of extracurricular activities and programs. However, some of our teachers were nothing short of exceptional. I was fortunate enough to have one of those teachers during my elementary years. Because of her commitment and dedication to education, I grew tremendously as an individual.

After I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s degree in special education, I moved back to that same small town to teach at the same elementary school that I attended. Being in this school, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor students and provide the stability and love that many of them do not experience at home.

More than anything, I want my students to know that I care. That’s why I teach.

Kristin White
James A. Long Elementary School
Palatka, FL


Seth Van Gaasbeek

Seth Van Gaasbeek

Seth Van Gaasbeek

Education was not always my field of study. I received a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and was enrolled in a Master’s program for school psychology. It was during one of my fieldwork sessions that I realized that teaching was my passion. I was observing in a second grade classroom, gathering data for one of my school psychology assignments. After two hours, I hadn’t collected any data because I was so engaged with the lesson. This is when I realized my calling was teaching children, not testing them as a school psychologist all day. Therefore, I returned to school to obtain my teaching certificates in elementary and special education so I could provide engaging, hands-on lessons that meet every student’s learning needs.

To me, teaching is understanding that each student is unique. It is designing lessons to accommodate students’ different learning styles to provide a quality education in the diverse classroom.

Seth Van Gaasbeek
Substitute Teacher
Circleville Elementary School / Pine Bush Central School District
Pine Bush, NY

SUNY New Paltz graduate. The program received an OSEP-funded grant:
84.325T: Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants


Chelsea Iobst

Chelsea Iobst

Chelsea Iobst

My college president always preached that what you give to others, one day they will give to someone else and if we can keep this chain going we have done our part. Teaching to me is giving knowledge to others in the hopes that one day they will give it to someone else. I teach so that my students will show kindness to a stranger with no expectation of anything in return. I teach so that one day my students will have more than tolerance for all types of people no matter their race, religion, or culture. For many of the kids at my school, new experiences outside of the school walls do not exist. They do not get to create memories or moments that can change the rest of their lives.

I am not just their teacher; I am their chance to see the world from within the walls of our classroom!

Chelsea Iobst
Alachua Elementary School
Alachua, Florida


Teachers Change Lives at:

#‎ThankATeacher | ‪#‎WhyITeach

“Why I Teach” — Gaudet, Paterra & Dorestant

Teachers Change Lives at:

#‎ThankATeacher | ‪#‎WhyITeach


Felipa Gaudet

Felipa Gaudet

Felipa Gaudet

I teach for the children—for the people they are and the people they will become. I teach in a vibrant; economically, ethnically, racially and linguistically diverse; Title I school because I believe in the power of education to transform lives. As a teacher, I am an advocate for my students and their families. I strive to understand their needs in the context of equity and diversity, as well as analyze and prepare the curriculum and our institution to meet those needs.

As a Montessori teacher in a public school, I am dedicated to enabling each child to discover who they are and what they love while critically examining the world around them. I design learning experiences so the students will make connections on a personal level, cooperate and communicate effectively with one another, and reflect upon ways to improve and celebrate their own actions, skills, talents and abilities.

Felipa Gaudet
Elementary I Teacher—Grades 1–3
George Washington Montessori School—Kingston City School District
Kingston, NY

Graduate from a SUNY New Paltz dual licensure program.
The program received an OSEP-funded grant:
84.325T: Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants


Matthew Paterra

Matthew Paterra

Matthew Paterra

I was a career changer. After earning my Master’s degree in Public Policy and International Affairs, I worked on large scale research projects for a few years. During that time, I came to the decision that I wanted to impact the lives of children directly. I took a professional and economic risk to return to school to earn my Master’s degree in Education with dual certification in secondary Special Education and Social Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.

My student teaching experiences were at an urban Middle School in Pittsburgh, where I fell in love with my students and the job of teaching. Currently I am Special Education teacher at a High School in the Federal Way District, near Seattle. My training as a teacher provided me an opportunity to relocate across the country and have a job that brings great personal and professional satisfaction. I am passionate about improving the reading skills of the teenagers in my school.

Matthew Paterra
Decatur High School
Federal Way Public Schools
Federal Way, WA

Graduate from University of Pittsburgh program with a dual certification.
The program received an OSEP-funded grant:
84.325T: Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants


Stephanie Dorestant

Stephanie Dorestant

Stephanie Dorestant

I became a special education teacher initially because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help students in struggling communities who had learning hurdles overcome those barriers and be successful in the classroom. Now in my sixth year of teaching, I’ve realized that my teaching is about filling students with knowledge, exposure, and empowerment. The more I pour into them, the better prepared they are for the next challenges they will face in life. One single educator can impact so many lives.
I teach because I have been blessed to have had so many influential people pour excellence into my cup and I feel the responsibility to do the same for the next generation. My hope is that I can inspire a few to want to keep it going and give back when they have the opportunity to do so.

Stephanie Dorestant
Maynard Evans High School
Orlando, FL


Teachers Change Lives at:

#‎ThankATeacher | ‪#‎WhyITeach

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