By: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Last week, we celebrated teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8–12.
In case you missed it, OSERS highlighted two states working to address the special education teacher shortage. Additionally, 10 dedicated teachers and professors shared why they teach.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
#ThankATeacher | #WhyITeach
Carissa Barnes
During middle school service learning, I volunteered at a childcare center that provided service to families typically turned away from centers due to money or the needs of their children. I quickly realized my adoration for helping children “level the playing field”. This adoration, coupled with my passion for social equality, drove my decision to educate students with special needs. Watching students overcome the barriers presented by their exceptionalities is my daily affirmation. Every day, I witness exceptional students strive to take ownership of their lives and their education in the face of perceived limitations and a lack of societal awareness.
I firmly believe that my fundamental job as a special educator is not simply to help students navigate their school career or prepare for postsecondary outcomes but to help them claim/reclaim their lives. This charge serves as my humbling, call-to-action each day and is the reason why I teach.
Carissa Barnes
Special Education Resource Teacher
Stonegate Elementary School
Silver Spring, MD
Olivia Enders
My interest in education came from a deep appreciation of learning and the opportunities that education provides individuals. It also comes from the realization that not all students are provided with equitable access to these opportunities. As I started to volunteer more in public school systems through local Pittsburgh organizations, I realized that these barriers to quality education, though complex and often intimidating, are not insurmountable. I wanted to do something about those barriers, and felt that teaching was a career in which I could have a tangible impact, connecting students to education so that they could become the best versions of themselves.
I am currently a middle school learning support teacher at Peters Township Middle School [in Washington County]. My favorite aspect of my job is when I can celebrate the varied successes of my students, whether that be their acing a challenging math test, learning how to ask for help, finding deeper meaning in Shakespeare, or earning Hot Cheetos as part of a behavior plan. I find that taking time to appreciate both the large and small gains creates a dynamic atmosphere where learning is exciting for students, and I look forward to being a part of that atmosphere every day.
Olivia Enders
Special Education Teacher
Peters Township Middle School
Peters Township, PA
Graduate of the Secondary Dual Certification Special Education/English Education
Master of Special Education with Academic Instruction Certificate (MOSAIC) Program at the
University of Pittsburgh. The program received an OSEP-funded grant:
84.325T: Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants
Matthew Kirchmann
I have been asked many times the question, “Why do you teach”? There are many reasons why I teach but the most honest response is, to have the ability to improve the future of society. Children today have the ability to make the world a better place, as they become functioning citizens in society. I know that I have been given a very important role in my life and can ultimately improve the quality of life for not only the children I teach, but also for members of society.
As a Special Education teacher in a high poverty area in the South Bronx, I truly understand the struggles that families face each and every day. I am given the responsibility to alleviate some of the stresses by providing quality special education services to those in need.
I dream to see my students sore to their greatest potential and that is the true answer to the question, “why do I teach?”
Matthew Kirchmann
Special Education Teacher
PS 314—Fairmont Neighborhood School
Bronx, NY
#ThankATeacher | #WhyITeach
#ThankATeacher | #WhyITeach
Jamie DiCarlo
Why do I teach? That is a question I am often asked, especially when people find out that I teach students with autism spectrum disorders. I will tell you one thing, it is not because “I am a special person” or “I have a lot of patience” like most people say when I tell them my profession. It is because every child has the right to learn. I love reaching the kids that nobody else can reach and seeing them become positive members of the school community.
That is why I teach, students need to know that there is someone there for them no matter what, to advocate for those without a voice, support them when they feel as though no one else can, and to love them unconditionally. I teach for my students, to make their world a better place, even if it is just for the school day.
Jamie DiCarlo
Special Education Teacher
Seminole Elementary
Tampa, FL
See Jamie on ED’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Stephanie Rosa
In second grade I had big goals to go to Harvard to become a dolphin trainer and an Olympic swimmer. Even though I didn’t make it close to Harvard or the Olympics, I realized that having goals is extremely important, so I knew that becoming a teacher would allow me to motivate other children of all races, religions, and backgrounds. Now, I work on a military base where students are constantly moving from base to base and have hectic lives.
I love when each student walks in and sees me and my smile and can relax, feel comfortable, and have a stable environment. It is an amazing feeling when they smile and tell me about their future goals and new adventures. I love being their biggest cheerleader and will always help them achieve whatever goal they set, even if it is becoming valedictorian of Harvard!
Stephanie Rosa
1st Year Teacher | Fourth Grade Special Education
Major George Welch Elementary School
Dover, DE
Graduate of a SUNY Fredonia program that received an OSEP-funded grant:
84.325T: Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants
See Stephanie on ED’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Heather Marzullo
Helping students realize their potential and see what they can be… that’s the most rewarding thing in the world. Showing children their value and making them see what I see when I look at them-that’s why I teach. Getting a child that has never wanted to pick up a book become so immersed in the plot—that’s why I teach. Every day I want to give my kids what they need in order to thrive and if I do my job—then they can do theirs. Educating our future creates sustainability and ensures that values that matter like respect and having empathy are carried on.
I feel extremely fortunate that so many parents share their most precious gifts with me, and it is my hope that I can send them out into this world motivated to not only gain educational success but also to understand that nice matters.
Heather Marzullo
6th grade ELA/MCL
H.W. Smith School
Syracuse, NY
Graduate of a SUNY Cortland program that received an OSEP-funded grant:
84.325T: Special Education Preservice Program Improvement Grants
#ThankATeacher | #WhyITeach