Do you know what a school without handicapped accessibility would be like? In my opinion, it wouldn’t be that great. First of all, if you were in a wheelchair, there would be no ramps to access the school and no elevator to get to the other levels for classes. If you have any special needs, there will be no special education teachers to help you. Missing these accommodations would not be fair.

Some schools have provided help for academics. For example, Kirn has co-taught classes or pullout ELA and math. Students can learn the same curriculum, but the class may take it at a slower pace and help students with the concepts more, so they can understand them. It is important to know that the students aren’t that different; they just need a bit more help at times. The students are smart, but some of them may learn in different ways. I interviewed Mrs. Saucedo, a special education advocate for Kirn Middle School.

How do students get the help they need? Well, the schools go through a process. If the student shows any signs of a need for help in ELA and/or math, the school administers some tests to see how the student learns. Then if the school and the parents decide that the student needs help, they will assign an IEP (individualized education plan). Some students have access to a para (paraprofessional) who can help them with their classes.   

Are paras only for special education students? Well, not exactly. They will be there for the special education students, but they can also help any student to explain the work. Paras can help you as long as it doesn’t take away from the special education student(s).

I have seen paras in some of my classes, and I always wondered why some classes had extra help while others did not. It was interesting to ask these questions and learn the answers.