Carol Kosnitsky, a long-time special education director from New Hampshire, shared her ideas on how to serve in the best way possible the Public School System’s special education program students.
The workshop held at the Saipan World Resort was attended by teachers in general and special education, principals, vice principals, teacher aides, related service providers from Rota, Tinian and Saipan, parents, counselors from Northern Marianas College as well as officials and staffers from the Center for Independent Living.
Kosnitsky said giving access to general education curriculum, collaboration and accountability are the three “overarching concepts that drive the process of building and implementing an individualized education program.”
The training she conducted, she said, should help educators ensure that all students have access to the general education curriculum.
Special education teacher Dan Conlon said the most important thing that he learned in the training was collaboration.
“If you really care and they know it, they learn better and you’ll have a better relationship with them,” Conlon said, referring to students.
Sinapalo Elementary School acting principal Vanessa Q. Hocog said people responsible for the general education curriculum play an important role in special education.
The workshop, she added, taught them how to do a better job as educators.
Laurie Allen, a related service provider, said they learned how to write an individualized education program “in a way that is meaningful.”
Marissa Guerrero, parent representative of the Special Education State Advisory Panel, said it is very important for the participants to understand what is written in the individualized education program for each child.
“Because my daughter is a recipient of special education services, attending this training is vital for me and our family to understand the vocabulary and context of the education program,” she said.
