Preparing Teachers for Special Education: Insights from Educators and Authors ~ 401

Tim Villegas
Recording from Far Spoken Studios in beautiful Marietta, Georgia, you are listening to the Think Inclusive Podcast, Episode 12, brought to you by Brooks Publishing Company. I’m your host, Tim Villegas.

It has been a few months since we published a podcast interview here at Think Inclusive, and there’s a good reason. Since we’ve been expanding the website, we have been upgrading our sound equipment and computer hardware. In addition, we are changing the format slightly so that hopefully, we can produce more podcasts for you to listen to.

Today, you will hear two edited interviews that I did almost a year ago. First, with Audrey Gomez and Asia McKee—educators who have had experience in the classroom as well as in teacher training. They give a unique perspective on how we can prepare teachers who are about to enter the field of special education and also highlight what a degree in Disability Studies looks like.

My second interview is with a middle school teacher who works here in the Atlanta metro area. Her book, Sped, is about a fictional character, Jack Parker, as he navigates the complexities of having learning disabilities in the eighth grade and being in special education. At the time of this interview, Sped 2, which is Re’s second book, had not come out yet, but is now on Amazon Kindle and in paperback. I’ll have the links in the show notes page. I’ll also tell you how you can hear the complete unedited versions of the interviews at the end of the podcast.

So without further ado, let’s get to the Think Inclusive Podcast. Thanks for listening.

Tim Villegas
Today on the Think Inclusive Podcast, I have Audrey Gomez and Asia McKee. Audrey Gomez has been in the field of special education since 2000. She has worked as a resource specialist and in self-contained classrooms in the K–12 setting for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, and she is currently an adjunct professor for the Department of Special Ed at Chapman University.

Asia McKee has worked in the early childhood field since 1996. She teaches early childhood special education for Capistrano Unified School District, and she is a certified special education advocate. She also works part-time as an adjunct professor with Cal State University Fullerton in the Special Education Department.

Thank you both for being here, Audrey and Asia.

Audrey Gomez
Thank you.

Asia McKee
Thank you so much for having us.

Tim Villegas
Well, I’m excited to talk to both of you because I’m a California guy. For those of you who don’t know, Newport-Mesa and Capistrano are both in Orange County, California. That’s also kind of where my old stomping grounds are. I used to work in Pasadena Unified, so I’m pretty familiar with how California runs their schools as far as special education.

I wanted to have you on because I know that you are a part of the Disability Studies program at Chapman University. So before we get into talking about disability studies and disability rights, could one of you tell us a little bit about the Disability Studies program at Chapman?

Asia McKee
Sure, we can do that. This is Asia. The Disability Studies program emphasizes and explores disability as a social construct. It investigates new ways to think about education and support people who learn differently.

Tim Villegas
Since it is fairly new, especially on the West Coast, some of our listeners may not even really know what Disability Studies is or what is taught in the coursework. Is there a certain way to think about Disability Studies as far as why it’s really important?

Audrey Gomez
This is Audrey. Disability Studies really challenges the way in which disability is constructed in society. It looks at disability from a different standpoint. It’s not so focused on the impairment. So if we look at what Disability Studies is not, it’s not what we would consider the medical model of disability, where we are focused on curing or fixing a child because of their disability. It’s more of a progressive approach on how to look at disability.

I’ve described it before as—especially because it’s fairly new and it intertwines in some ways with special education—a lot of people hear “Disability Studies” and think that we’re learning about different types of disabilities, like Down syndrome or autism. But really, it’s looking at the broad picture of disability itself—not specific disabilities, but disability in general.

I explain it to people as looking broadly at disability as a social construct. Within that view, you’re looking at things like the special education system and services. So it’s more about viewing disability as a difference and asking: Are we disabling individuals by not providing them with the support or environmental changes they need to access whatever they want in life?

Typically, we focus on the diagnosis and the disability label. Disability Studies focuses more on the strengths and needs of the individual as defined by them.

Tim Villegas
It seems like this kind of parallels the self-advocacy movement. Am I thinking about that correctly? This change in thinking—from “if only we could cure this, then they could live a ‘normal’ life”—to what Disability Studies is trying to promote?

Audrey Gomez
Yes, this is Audrey again. I think it really came from when we look at Brown v. Board of Education and how that was a seminal case for the civil rights movement. That not only changed the way people of color were treated within society and schools, but it was eye-opening for people with disabilities who wanted the same equal rights.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 brought awareness to the idea of people with disabilities not being discriminated against in the public sector. There were a lot of protests and advocates like Ed Roberts who wanted equal rights and to be part of the community and educational system.

Tim Villegas
Is there a particular court case that defines the disability rights movement other than Brown v. Board of Education?

Audrey Gomez
There’s not really one seminal court case, but the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 really set the tone. It guaranteed civil rights for people with disabilities. That was the precursor to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). After that, through advocacy, more anti-discrimination laws came into place.

The disability rights movement really started in the 1960s. Then came cases like Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens (PARC) v. Commonwealth and Mills v. Board of Education in the 1970s. In 1975, we had the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, which became Public Law 94-142, or what we now know as IDEA.

Asia McKee
While all of that was happening legislatively, there was also a group of special education scholars and researchers who started to examine special education practices critically. They began listening to the voices of individuals with disabilities and questioning the push to “overcome” disability and strive for normalcy.

Many of the professors in Disability Studies today were originally special education teachers or professors. They’ve moved into this field because they began to see the need to look at disability through a different lens.

Tim Villegas
Where do you think the field of special education is going? I believe IDEA is going to be reauthorized soon. Is that correct?

Asia McKee
We’ve heard that, but I don’t have any details. I would imagine it will be reauthorized in the next five years.

Tim Villegas
Where do you see special education going, especially with things like Common Core, redesigned state testing, and the push for Universal Design for Learning?

Audrey Gomez
Everyone is talking about inclusion right now, but everyone has their own definition of what that means. Since inclusion isn’t written into the law, it can be interpreted differently. If we’re going to provide students with disabilities the opportunity to be educated in their neighborhood schools alongside their peers, we need to make our laws clearer.

We also need to properly train general education teachers to support students with a range of disabilities. They need to understand that a basic universal curriculum may not be appropriate for all students. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is key here.

We’re moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot of steps to take to ensure that students with disabilities are valued members of the classroom and are successful.

Asia McKee
I agree. We also need to look at state requirements for credentialing programs. Special educators are trained for inclusion, but there’s often a disconnect between universities and school districts. Theory is sometimes easier than practice.

Districts in Orange County are starting to move toward more inclusive models, which is exciting. But general educators need more training on how to work with students with disabilities. Many of them only had one class on special education.

Credentialing programs should start from the beginning with inclusive practices and a Disability Studies perspective. It’s a slow process, but we’re getting there.

Audrey Gomez
With Common Core and redesigned state testing, it’s imperative that students with special needs are considered from the beginning—not as an afterthought. We need to embed UDL strategies and provide general education teachers with the support they need.

Even the Common Core website has a separate page for students with disabilities, which sends the message that they weren’t part of the original framework. That alone says something about how disability is viewed.

Asia McKee
There’s great work out there by people like Justin Thurlow on how to align Common Core with UDL. The way we roll out these initiatives is key. We need to approach them with different techniques and strategies that include all learners.

Tim Villegas
Stay tuned to the end of the podcast to learn how you can hear the complete and unedited version of my interview with Audrey and Asia. And now, my interview with educator Re Marzullo, author of Sped and Sped 2.

Tim Villegas
On the phone with me, I have Re Marzullo. She is the author of two books, Sped and Sped 2. Thank you for joining me today, Re.

Re Marzullo
Thank you so much for having me, Tim. I really appreciate it.

Tim Villegas
No problem. I have your book Sped, and it’s fascinating. I wanted to share it with Think Inclusive readers and listeners. A lot of teachers and parents visit the site, and sometimes special education is a very mysterious thing. I think your books offer great insight from the perspective of a student. Can you give us a synopsis of Sped?

Re Marzullo
The first book, Sped, is about Jack Parker, an eighth grader with dyslexia. He got through most of elementary school, but by fourth or fifth grade, he realized he needed help. He entered a specialized program, and in middle school, he was placed in a small group class.

That worked for sixth and seventh grade, but in eighth grade, he discovered girls and realized there were no girls in his class. He wanted out. Sped is the story of how he tries to get his parents and the administration on board to move into the general ed population—not just for himself, but for his classmates too.

Tim Villegas
What inspired you to write the book?

Re Marzullo
I’m a middle school teacher, and I was trying to find a book for our book club. I read a recommendation in Time Magazine and thought, “I can write a book.” I’ve always loved to write. Once the idea came, Jack Parker showed up—his voice, his mannerisms, everything.

I’ve never taught Jack specifically, but in 20 years, I’ve taught many “mini Jacks.” When I sit down to write, I hear their voices. It’s been a great experience.

Tim Villegas
Are you involved in special ed teaching?

Re Marzullo
No, but I’ve taught team-taught classes, honors, and on-level classes. I see a range of students every day.

Tim Villegas
How has your view of special education changed since writing the books?

Re Marzullo
Writing these books helped me get rid of the labels I used to put on kids. Instead of seeing acronyms like ADHD or EBD, I now see the kids. My general ed students appreciated seeing the special ed perspective. And special ed students have come up to me and said, “Thanks. This is a character I can relate to.” That’s been really meaningful.

Tim Villegas
How is Sped 2 different from the first book?

Re Marzullo
I can’t give away too much, but it’s different. I’ve just started writing Summer Sped, which will be the third in the trilogy. I have so much fun writing these. Kids love them, and adults do too. There’s something for everyone.

Tim Villegas
Where can we get the books?

Re Marzullo
If you have a Kindle, you can get them on Amazon. You can also order the paperback on Amazon or find them on iBooks.

Tim Villegas
Excellent. Thank you for your time, Re. If you’re listening, please check out Sped and Sped 2. We’ll all be waiting for Summer Sped.

Re Marzullo
We’ve got a minute to wait on that—I’m working on it. Thank you so much for having me, Tim. I really appreciate your questions.

Tim Villegas
That concludes this edition of the Think Inclusive Podcast. For more information about Audrey and Asia and what Disability Studies really means, visit chapmandisabilitystudies.com. For more information on Re Marzullo’s books, visit remarzullo.wordpress.com or download Sped and Sped 2 from Amazon.

Remember, you can always find us on Twitter @think_inclusive or on the web at thinkinclusive.us. Visit our sponsor at brookspublishing.com and receive 25% off your order using the promo code TIMB25.

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Today’s show was produced by Far Spoken Recordings using condenser microphones, a Xenyx mixer, a MacBook Pro, GarageBand, and a Skype account. Exit music by SS41 with their song “Heart of It.” You can download it from iTunes or stream it on Spotify.

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From Marietta, Georgia, please join us again on the Think Inclusive Podcast. Thanks for your time and attention.