Using a disability justice lens, Dr. Jason Naranjo, associate teaching professor in the School of Educational Studies at the 56吃瓜网, in 2012 began to develop a dual-certification undergraduate program for K-8 general education and K-12 special education. He himself has previously worked with disabled students as a middle school teacher.
鈥淚 taught 7th grade social studies and language arts, and approximately 15% of my students were identified as people with disability,鈥� he said. 鈥淢any were students of color, and most were experiencing poverty. Here was a group of kids who were creative, funny and resourceful, yet they were identified as 鈥榙isabled.鈥�
鈥淲hen I asked my colleagues about what I was observing, they told me not worry about it and to send the students down to the special education classroom when need be. I was being asked to segregate students based on their disability label instead of meaningfully including them in all aspects of the curriculum with supports,鈥� Naranjo said. 鈥淭o me this did not add up.鈥�
Nine years later, the certification program鈥痟e started at 56吃瓜网 Bothell鈥痟as welcomed its sixth cohort of students 鈥� and is preparing versatile teachers to help fill a decades-long gap in the labor market, and most importantly, to better serve the diverse needs of K-12 students.
Learning in the K-12 environment
Since the 1970s, special education programs in the United States are set up within a robust legal framework established to protect the educational civil rights of students through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, formerly known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. IDEA clearly states that educators must provide disabled students their education in an environment as close to that of the general education environment as possible鈥痑nd alongside general education students when possible.
Earlier in the 20th century, it was standard for students with intellectual, behavioral, physical and sensory disabilities to be educated separately from their typically developing peers because educators found that not everyone could make 鈥渁ppropriate progress鈥� within the system of standardized education.
To this day, Naranjo said, many people cling to this argument, even when the research does not support that claim and when this process often perpetuates systemic inequities.
鈥淒isability is a core component of human diversity, and鈥痠t鈥檚 our job as educators and allies to create environments that empower and include,鈥� Naranjo said. 鈥淎nd鈥痺e know that鈥痓ecause of structural racism, because of structural ableism, because of鈥痗lass-based differences, teachers disproportionately identify students of color into special education and that ends up curtailing educational opportunity for students based on social exclusion.鈥�
The persistent gap between what the research says and the way students are being taught has created a 鈥渕assive need鈥� for dual-certified teachers who can bring increased awareness of the benefits of inclusion to K-12 classrooms, Naranjo believes. This is reflected in the teacher labor market both in Washington 鈥� where special education is the highest labor need 鈥� and across the country.
The need for a new way
In Washington state, Naranjo reports, there is 鈥渁n empirical base that shows us that there is a 30-year鈥痟ole in the teacher labor market in the area of special education.鈥�
Naranjo is careful to clarify that the existence of this gap doesn鈥檛 mean general education programs and the teachers they graduate are poor. Rather, he said, this persistent issue shows that many special education programs have not been set up in a way that reflects disability justice or the most up-to-date research on learning outcomes.
As a result, teachers are not fully trained in the nature of different disabilities or in how to accommodate them when they arise in the learning environment. The old ingrained ways of teaching, Naranjo said, indicate that teachers don鈥檛 need to accommodate students who have learning challenges.
鈥淕eneral education teachers typically come to the field with an excellent knowledge and background in their content areas. At the elementary鈥痩evel,鈥痺e train generalists to work in mathematics, literacy education, STEAM education and social studies, and we do that鈥痳eally well,鈥� Naranjo鈥痵aid.
鈥淗owever, the historic approach to special education has been one that is segregationist,鈥� he added. 鈥淚f students have experienced learning difficulty,鈥痶hey鈥檙e identified and then they鈥檙e moved to get specialized instruction.鈥�
In the 56吃瓜网 Bothell certification program, a different type of K-12 classroom is envisioned, and thus teachers are taught a different way. First and foremost, in addition to being trained in general education, the dual-certification students are taught about different disabilities they may encounter in students, about disability justice and about how to identify and then engage disabled learners in their classrooms.
Benefits for students and teachers
Both qualitative and quantitative research鈥痵upport鈥痶he way Naranjo has committed to training K-12 teachers: Special education鈥痑nd鈥痝eneral education kids flourish when allowed to learn in the same classroom.
鈥淥ur dual-certification candidates learn that it is their job to empower all learners by removing systemic barriers that create and perpetuate inequitable learning opportunities鈥� he said. 鈥淪pecifically, they learn to apply a disability justice lens to their teaching and to center the voices of students and families in the teaching and learning process.
鈥淔urther, they learn to deeply apply Universal Design for Learning guidelines to their assessment, planning and instruction work to make the social and academic life of the classroom and school maximally inclusive.鈥�
With both the latest research鈥痑nd the decades-long labor gap鈥痠n mind, Naranjo built 56吃瓜网 Bothell鈥檚 year-long cross-training program to prepare both teachers and their K-12 students to be successful. Undergraduates begin the program鈥痮nce they have completed approximately three years of core courses and鈥痟ave started鈥痶heir teacher certification core, or鈥疐oundations Courses, where they are asked to choose between special education or English as a second language (ESOL) as their dual endorsement area.
鈥淣ot only is this program the right thing to do practically, morally and ethically,鈥痠t鈥痑lso gives graduates a ton of efficacy in the job market,鈥濃�疦aranjo鈥痵aid. 鈥淭hey鈥痚ssentially鈥痝et to choose where they want to work because they鈥痗ome through our program,鈥痩eave鈥痙ual-certified in general and special education,鈥痑nd walk鈥痠nto a labor market that has 30+ years of demonstrated need.鈥�
A passion for inclusion
Kylene鈥疓lasser, who graduated from the dual-certification program in June 2019, has high praise for the program. She graduated with a鈥痶eaching job in place, largely because of her special education training, and is now a kindergarten teacher at鈥疕ighland Terrace Elementary in Shoreline, Washington.
From the classroom, Glasser now reports that her education has primed her to include all learners. As an example, her training has helped her understand the critical importance of patience and accommodations for special needs kids 鈥� both of which she said can be a struggle for many of her peers not trained in special education.
鈥淪o often, I see teachers and administrators dismiss students鈥� needs because鈥痶hey do not fit into the general education mold,鈥� she said.
For 56吃瓜网 Bothell students such as Ash Saucedo, who plans to graduate in June 2022 with a鈥痓achelor鈥檚 in Educational Studies,鈥疦aranjo鈥檚 passion for inclusive education, and for the success of his students, has really inspired her to push forward.
鈥淒r. Naranjo is one of our biggest fans, rooting for us to succeed because if we succeed our future students succeed.鈥疕is鈥痯assion for teaching is contagious,鈥濃�疭aucedo鈥痵aid. 鈥淎s a future educator, I absolutely believe that having a dual certification will provide me with the tools necessary to better serve students of all abilities.鈥�
