Collaboration Statement

As a teacher who once struggled in school, I feel that I have a

connection to those who struggle in my classroom. Solely, I do not believe
that children struggle on their own or because they lack understanding; I
believe children can struggle due to the collaborations within their school. As
an educator, I want to circumscribe collaboration so that I apprehend what is
needed to assist my students in special education.
I know that collaboration in special education is important because it
involves sharp levels of intervention. These interventions are a part of a
cycle taken to move students from below level to grade level. Within
collaboration, key players find the appropriate interventions such as
Resource, inclusion, or other appropriate services. The law is the first key
player; federal law addresses regulations that outline special education in
schools and for the individual. The Individualized Education Program/Plan
(IEP) is a major part of the collaborative process; this document involves
conducted data that offers an evaluation of an individual and leads in the
foundation of support. Nonetheless, school personnel must understand the
fundamentals that are required to support students with required special
education services. As a case manager, I am the key player in making sure
my school and schools teachers follow the required accommodations and
services listed in a students IEP.
Schools must have individuals including teachers, case managers,
diagnosticians, and administrators who work together to ensure the success

of students who receive special education services. Furthermore, schools

must have special education programs in place, such as classes that offer
interventions, which show progress towards helping struggling students
succeed. With that, come barriers because collaboration can be known as a
voluntary practice; it mandates school personnel to work together for one or
more goals.
In my experience, I have worked with teachers who do not like having
to abide by IEPs and the nature that comes with them. In their choosing,
they do not support children with IEPs, as they should. They feel that
additional documentation is too much and too stressful. These are also the
teachers who wonder why some students struggle so much in their classes
and that they have trouble understanding. With good collaboration, come
individuals who are hard to work with like these teachers. Accountability is
one way that makes a large difference in special education; it puts school
personnel in way of having requirements, not choices. Abiding by a students
IEP should not be a choice.
Every annual year collaboration should be at its highest with the
involvement of an individual who receives special education services.
Students should be involved in collaborating with school personnel on how
they are learning and what they need to further their learning. The IEP is a
large part of this collaboration method. It helps define the accommodations
and services a student will receive for a full academic year. Though the

appropriate individual can amend it at any time, it still stands as a superior

document for a students success.
To conclude, with all that has been mentioned and the offerings
included with special education and its supports, there are times that culture
and power influence a students education. I think that culture is very
influential in education. Some cultures believe that special education is a
threat and that it is for low-disabled individuals only. Some people fail to
understand that special education offers support to those who have strength
in areas, but lack the foundational supports in other areas. When I think of
power in schools, I think more about authority. In schools, the person with
the most authority is the principal. If the principal is a strong special
education administrator, then most of the time the schools special
education program is good and successful. However, in some schools,
principals do not care a lot about special education because special
education students are not the majority of their schools. This mentality is
cause for a poor special education program that fails in support of those who
require support.