I get that the caterpillar is a pilot with a French accent, but that’s not the kind of pilot I am talking about here. Nor is this going to be an Easter blog since that is a few months away.
But what I am going to be talking about today is the importance of pilot programs for special education students, especially now in this day and age. Pilot programs are a great way to experiment the student’s strengths and weaknesses in order for the student to succeed in their educational journey.
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Now the one thing about pilot programs is that they are like that new car that just rolled off the assembly line and that its only needed to be tested before going onto the market. You don’t know how it’s going to act and how it will perform in the long term. I get that a lot of schools encourage student inclusion, but if you are going to include a special education student who is on an IEP, then you kind of need to bend your back to the student’s overall need.
When I graduated from Elementary School in 2000, there was indeed a lot of uncertainty about what junior high school was going to be like. It was ultimately decided that there be a pilot program geared towards giving students like myself a chance to get through the school day as easy as possible. This pilot program eventually expanded beyond middle school and followed me to high school and as of this blog, the program is still in place today.
For one thing, the purpose of this pilot program was designed to give me a space to decompress, build bridges with teachers and staff and just be myself when I am not in the regular subject classes. Now, another thing about pilot programs is that many families will oftentimes be hesitant because they don’t know if the pilot program will hurt or help the student.
What’s more is that there will be naysayers out in the school community questioning why the student or students are not part of the community like everyone else as an example. Just remember that if there is going to be criticism of why there is even a pilot program to begin with, you just gotta ignore the criticism. The people giving the criticism don’t understand the student’s overall situation or needs for the program in the first place.
The fact is that special education students can have a place to call home during the school day and the fact that they can have a sanctuary is essential. This is true if the student is having a meltdown, needing extra time on classwork and exams, or not being involved in a forced activity such as a school lunchroom.
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Sadly though, while many schools have implemented pilot programs that have benefited special education students, there are some schools that don’t have the understanding nor the time nor the patience to put such a program in place for special education students. We still have a long way to go and special education students learn in their own way, not in the traditional classroom setting manner.
If you are a special education teacher and you are reading this blog, perhaps you will get an idea into what a pilot program could do for special education students just as much as general education students. Take it up with the school district and get their own wheels going. Remember, that a special education student’s classroom isn’t just a homebase, it’s a sanctuary.
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Catch you all later!!
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