equipped to provide responsive supports.
Special education teachers are at the hub of
designing and overseeing the implementa-
tion of specialized academic, social emo-
tional, and behavioral supports for students
with special needs. This calls for education
specialist preparation programs to equip all
beginning special education teacher candi-
dates with the skill and knowledge necessary
for providing trauma informed education.
Responding to the Call for Trans-
forming Outcomes for Students
with Special Needs
In an effort to respond to the call for trans-
forming outcomes for students with special
needs, the Reach Institute for School Lead-
ership and Seneca Family of Agencies have
come together to forge a partnership which
will yield a new Education Specialist Intern
Credential program. The program will be
uniquely designed to provide an alterna-
tive pathway for aspiring special education
teachers. The new program intends to recruit
and attract paraprofessionals, as well school
personnel serving in similar roles, who have
34
Leadership
training and experience in supporting stu-
dents with mental health needs. Seneca
Family of Agencies has experienced success
in developing such staff, with approximately
75 percent of its special education teaching
staff having started their career at Seneca
at the paraprofessional level. These teach-
ers have currently served as special educa-
tors for an average of five years. Like other
paraprofessionals, they carry with them
experience, knowledge, and an affinity for
the field before they enter teaching. They
are also already adept at providing strategic,
evidenced-based interventions to support
students’ academic, social emotional, and
behavioral needs.
As a longstanding, commission-approved
program sponsor, the Reach Institute is ex-
perienced in providing training and support
to aspiring teachers who are immediately
placed to serve in general education class-
rooms. The development of a new Education
Specialist Intern program extends this op-
portunity for intern teachers to be supported
similarly while serving in special education
classrooms. Because of the critical special
education teacher shortage, schools and dis-
tricts have too commonly had to rely on fill-
ing special education teacher positions with
staff working under emergency permits, who
receive little to no support with acquiring
the necessary skills to work effectively with
students who require specialized supports.
Alternatively, preparing and matchmaking
aspiring special education teachers with the
children and schools who need them pro-
vides a means to a critically important end.
The desired outcomes of the new Educa-
tion Specialist Intern program will be sup-
ported by providing Education Specialist
Interns with extensive field experiences,
relevant and rigorous coursework supported
through a seminar model, small cohort size
to facilitate peer collaboration, and instruc-
tional coaching and mentorship provided
by an experienced Education Specialist.
The Reach Institute and Seneca Family of
Agencies are excited about an opportunity
to design a program, from the ground up,
that will address the newly introduced Edu-
cation Specialist Program Standards, as well
as provide embedded support to equip all