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Teague talks special education with Paterson’s special ed chief | Paterson Times

Teague talks special education with Paterson’s special ed chief

letter-to-editor-hq

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Cheryl Coy, chief of special education. During our meeting we discussed a plethora of issues including one day changing the designation of the district’s special education program to “Exceptional Learners” program.

Over the years, the term special education has had many connotations. Both positive and even negative. Being the father of a child who attends school under the banner of special education I know all too well about this.

All children are exceptional learners. They just learn at different levels, different paces and by different methods. It’s not that one is better than the other. It’s that they learn at different levels. As a newly elected school board member, I plan to institute and rally for this name change once I am officially sworn in to office.

In fact, I am already working to see if the programs designation can be changed. This is personal for me. And I’m sure the feedback from the public will be positive. I am one who thinks outside of the box. And this is just a small example of what I plan to bring to the school board.

We need to change the narrative. There is nothing wrong with being special. In fact, being special is exceptional. So, let’s start using that term. Let’s change the designation. Let’s change the energy. Words have power. We must use them wisely.

Written by school board member-elect Corey Teague

  • Greta Mills

    You can name change all day, every year, every ten years but until we accept that "all" students learn at different places and know different skills and therefore require small group/class sizes to have students educational needs met, name change means nothing.
    I want to see small classrooms so the students of Paterson can start to learn and a program that tracks their growth so students, teachers, parents, administrators can see that a student is learning every year.
    We can't hold a teacher accountable for 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 70 students and expect him or her to meet the needs of everyone. Even if you group them it is still too much for one person.
    Close dow 90 Delaware get every on in the classroom. As they say "all" hands on deck. We are underfunded, misusing funds, allowing people to get away with not servicing thier students so they can set up holiday events, pass out supplies, do other things around the building, cover a classroom because a teacher is out, do schedules and so much more.
    Hiring people who have no desires to teach in the classroom and just hang around 90 Delaware or a school building doing nothing but chit chat with friends.

  • bigron

    Corey Teague, you better wise up. People did not elect you to fiddle around with names like your campaign strategist Lilisa "fake doctor degree" Mimms. Start doing the real lifting to get this district back on track. Start with firing Eileen Schafer.

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