Teach Effectively!

A newly appointed director of special education for a local education agency in the Boston area (Medway, MA, US) was featured in a recent story. The article reported about Denise Rochlin’s meeting with the Medway Special Education Parents Advisory Council. Reporter Auditi Guha wrote that Rochlin, who has a wealth of special education experience, was walking “into a school district rife with problems, from knotty finances to deep discontent among parents of children with special needs.”

Asked what the challenges facing special education in Medway are, she said she would rather focus on the most positive thing she believes the district has — everyone interesting (sic) in working together cooperatively.
“All jobs are challenging. I think this position is challenging, but there is a very high level of support at all levels,” she said.
She is beginning to look at program needs in the district and will present a report later this year. She will also map out a year of direction that special education in the district should take.

I wish Dr. Rochlin well in creating those plans. Let’s hope that the map includes advocating for—even requiring—use of evidence-based practices. To be sure, other aspects of schooling (e.g., staff working relations) are important, but using methods, approaches, techniques, procedures, practices, etc. that are most likely to improve students’ outcomes should be the top priority in my view.