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Old 01-02-2012, 01:18 AM
 
371 posts, read 1,204,106 times
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I am currently teaching special ed in Colorado and am looking to relocate. I'm looking in a lot of different states right now to see which state's licenses I want to apply for. I have a friend that got a job teaching special ed very easily in Charlottesville, even after being fired from a district in another state the year before. She likes it, but I know I wouldn't like the type of program she's in. She's in a "full inclusion" program where students are in the general ed classrooms 100% of the time. That means she doesn't really get to teach anything- she goes into general ed. classrooms to support the students in that environment. I would hate that. Is this specific to her area or are there other areas that offer elementary pull out/resource programs for students with mild/moderate disabilities? I know there are probably self-contained rooms for students with more severe disabilities, but I'm not certified in that. I currently teach students in k-5 in a resource setting. They spend most of their day in their regular general ed classroom, but they also come to me for small group lessons in reading, writing, and math. I teach all of my own lessons and don't go "help" in the general ed classroom at all. I'm looking for something similar to that type of program. I really like my job but really hate the area, which is why I'm looking to relocate. Any special ed teachers out there that can tell me if programs like the one I'm in now exist anywhere in VA?
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Old 01-02-2012, 12:03 PM
 
Location: Suburbia
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The type of pull-out program you are currently in is mostly what we have. My wife and I both are in elementary schools in Fairfax County. The third grade special ed. teacher for my grade level has her own room and my students go to her for their lessons as prescribed in their IEPs. There are some students for which she goes into the classroom. Usually that is for students who don't have many special ed hours.
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Old 01-02-2012, 12:38 PM
 
Location: Where my bills arrive
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It's generally considered detrimental to seperate those with "learning challenges" so main streaming is the prefered method. Self-contained classes do exist but are usually for severe ed kids and severe ld kids. Otherwise as the above said the child will leave to go to a resource teacher then come back.
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Old 01-02-2012, 06:17 PM
 
371 posts, read 1,204,106 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tgbwc View Post
The type of pull-out program you are currently in is mostly what we have. My wife and I both are in elementary schools in Fairfax County. The third grade special ed. teacher for my grade level has her own room and my students go to her for their lessons as prescribed in their IEPs. There are some students for which she goes into the classroom. Usually that is for students who don't have many special ed hours.

That would be doable. I've heard good things about Fairfax county. Do you think there will be a lot of open positions (in elementary) for next year? I have interviewed at Stafford before (went really well but I was offered and accepted another position before I got through the whole process with them) but it seemed to me they were much more on the "full inclusion" side where the special ed teacher spent the entire day in gen ed rooms. I'll look in that area again, but only for general ed positions (I'm certified in both).

VAYankee- I am talking about mainstreaming. My students aren't in a seperate class- they're inclued in a regular gen ed room for more than 90% of the day. They come to me for maybe 30-45 minutes a day for supplemental lessons. The rest of the time they're in their regular class. I don't like "full inclusion" programs where the kids are in the gen ed room 100% of the day, because then as the special ed teacher you don't get to actually teach anything. Your job is more like a para or support teacher where you're expected to just go in and walk around and help the students with their general ed assignments. I didn't get a four year degree to stand around in someone else's classroom!
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Old 01-02-2012, 10:01 PM
 
Location: Suburbia
8,797 posts, read 15,236,743 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harrison21 View Post
That would be doable. I've heard good things about Fairfax county. Do you think there will be a lot of open positions (in elementary) for next year?
There are always a lot of positions for the following year. I believe there are a handful of positions open now. I'll send you a PM.
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Old 01-03-2012, 05:05 PM
 
2,076 posts, read 3,409,801 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harrison21 View Post
That would be doable. I've heard good things about Fairfax county. Do you think there will be a lot of open positions (in elementary)

I don't like "full inclusion" programs where the kids are in the gen ed room 100% of the day, because then as the special ed teacher you don't get to actually teach anything. Your job is more like a para or support teacher where you're expected to just go in and walk around and help the students with their general ed assignments. I didn't get a four year degree to stand around in someone else's classroom!
I'm in Fairfax and depending on the level you want to work with it seems we always have openings in what is called Cat. B or the low incident disabilities (ID, SID, NC, sig.AUT) and these are self contained primarily. Also, don't generalize the sped teachers role in an inclusion classroom. They are definitely not another aide in the schools where I worked. I've watched many resource teachers who have their own rooms, pull out as appropriate but also go into the classrooms and support their students with IEPs. I see them collaborating greatly with their grade level teams. So, it most likely varies one place to another so is a good question to have when you are interviewing. Good luck, where ever you land.
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