So that’s how you deal with a special needs child? I should have had someone like Ms. Portillo as a mentor when I was working with kids so I’d know how to educate special needs children.

I was under the impression that you provide a personal, individualized education plan for the child and show them that you truly care about them and their success. You let them know that they are both truly special and just like any other kid. You tell them to believe in themselves because you believe in them and you never let them forget it.

Boy, was I wrong.

According to the Portillo Model, you’re supposed to stand the child in front of the class and allow them to be ridiculed by their peers. A vote should then be taken to determine if the child is deemed worthy to remain in the class.

No wonder I didn’t become a teacher.

I have so much to learn.

He was once known as “the most visible black journalist in the country”. He also received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including a Peabody Award, an Emmy Award in addition to being a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

His name is Carl Rowan and he was also one of the first blacks in Naval officer training and the first black to hold a seat on the National Security Council.

And he’s this week’s Black History Spotlight.

In all honesty, I had not heard of Rowan until recently when Jill commented that I may be the next Carl Rowan.

I followed her directions by Googling him and discovered the many accomplishments of a remarkable man. I was even more amazed when I learned about his organization, Project Excellence, which has awarded more than $58 million to over 2,400 young people. Talk about doing good and doing well (DGADW).

I only hope I can accomplish a modicum of the success of Carl Rowan.

I recall Jada Pinkett-Smith saying in a Vibe article some time ago, “For black audiences, I think it’s important that we start expanding ourselves. You know, black people say, ‘Oh, rock ‘n’ roll is our music.’ Yeah, but you don’t listen to it. Why’s that? Sometimes I feel like we’re our own worst enemy, because we limit ourselves more than anybody.”

Allow me to introduce you to Jamie Lidell, an English soul singer.

In my book, there’s no such thing as “black music” or “white music”. The only differentiation I make when it comes to music is whether it’s good.

And this is…well, partially. I’ve been enjoying the second half of Jamie’s latest album, Jim since last month. I deleted the other half after the first listen. That’s beside the point, though.

The last track of the album, “Rope of Sand“, is my favorite and has quickly become one of my most played songs.

During Interim 2005, I spent much of my time with special education teacher Gwen Hill. Mrs. Hill and I worked with a number of students who had special needs. I continued to volunteer with her even after the class ended. The following is a profile piece on Mrs. Hill I composed for my EH204: Writing for the Print Media class.

It takes a special person to teach special education. Gwendolyn Hill is such a person. She demands confidence of her students and offers them encouragement, while respecting the individuality, uniqueness and ability of each child.

Hill has been teaching special education for 30 years. Looking at her, you’d never know it.

Her youthful appearance and calm disposition have not been tainted by the years or the usual worn-out feeling that most educators experience after a number of years in the field. Her face shows not a single wrinkle, and a true professional, she dresses in generally conservative attire that she makes herself.

After graduating from Ullman High School in Birmingham in 1970, Hill enrolled in Lawson State Junior College. She admits that she did not want to do so. “I wanted to travel,” she said in a recent interview with me. “I thought about joining the army,” she continued, “but my parents basically forced me to go to school.”

Although she was initially interested in pediatric nursing, Hill volunteered at the local recreational center to tutor students in remedial subjects in grades ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade. Comprised of both general education and special education students, this opportunity piqued Hill’s interest in special education because no one else wanted to work with the special needs students.

She also had the opportunity to work with high school students who were deficient in their reading and math skills.

“I was really amazed to find out there were students in grades 3-12 reading below grade level with two or more grade levels being deficient.”

Hill said this experience was enough to spark her interest in pursuing a career in the education field, with a specialization in special education.

After becoming certified to teach in 1975, Hill began working at Fort Rucker in Dale County, Alabama, as a special education teacher for grades kindergarten through fifth grades.

Unable to recall any obstacles during her first year as a teacher, Hill said, “Just having the opportunity to see a smiling face gleam because a skill had been learned, a book had been read or a math problem had been solved may have blinded any obstacles that I may have incurred.”

Times have changed dramatically in the past 30 years, and the education and special education fields are no exception. Hill informed me of two very important changes that have occurred since she entered the field.

Classification of students has now been removed from student records. This means that special education teachers are no longer able to view the particular diseases or learning disabilities that a child may possess. Instead, teachers are only allowed to know the problems these diseases and disabilities cause. For example, one of the students Hill works with has Down’s syndrome and is unable to perform mathematic computations. However, the IEP (Individualized Education Program), only lists that mathematic computations cannot be performed, which means the child’s teachers are left guessing as to why.

An IEP is a mandated requirement for any student in the public school system who meets the federal or state requirements for special education and related services. It generally outlines the student’s current performance level, necessary accommodations in class, subject areas impacted by the student’s disability, goals and objectives to be achieved during the course of the IEP, in addition to other pertinent information found to be beneficial to the success of the student.

Special education students are expected to master skills with less instruction and are no longer being “pulled” into classes away from the general education environment. This means that special needs students are able to interact and compete with their peers in regards to core subject study and are also able to participate in extra-curricular activities with other students from their age group.

Hill’s thoughts on President Bush’s historic, bipartisan education reform effort, ’No Child Left Behind,’ do not consist of both positives and negatives. She said, “The ‘No Child Left Behind’ program did not consider the special needs or the struggling child in the public education setting. There were no considerations to the students who learn differently (and) it appears to dictate the learning style or learning capacity to be only successful if one set method or technique is used for all.”

One of the primary components of ‘No Child Left Behind’ is stronger accountability for results. This level of accountability entails additional paperwork for state and federal education agencies. Hill explained ruefully that finding time during the day to complete tons of paperwork and teach is the hardest part of her job. “I spend a great deal of my time doing paper work at home,” she said, “because I have a very hard time sitting at my desk doing paperwork when I have a student in need of assistance with his or her academic assignment.”

Hill noted the reduction of paperwork as one thing she would like to see changed in the education field. Hill would also like more resources to be dedicated for the inclusive (open to all children, and that ensure that all children learn and participate) and resource settings that special needs students utilize. The curriculum for special needs students is based on the needs and abilities of the individual child and should reflect those individual needs and abilities.

Although times have changed since she first entered the education field, Hill said she enjoys what she does. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and two grandchildren. When she’s not completing paperwork, she likes to read and sew.

For aspiring educators, Hill offered this advice: “Make sure that this is what you want to do. Enjoy it and be patient. Be caring and sympathetic, but not so much that you allow the child’s disability to impede the learning process.” She added that it helps to find the best way to teach each child by being creative, as she hands a pencil to a student with limited ability of her hands to use to type on the computer keyboard.

“Have you ever wondered why the level of violence is so high among black males? Or why so many black males are failing in school or dropping out altogether? Or why so many black males are incarcerated? It’s because adult black men have failed young black males.”

“We as black men have failed the young brothers in the streets, in the schools, and in the home. We have failed them as fathers, mentors, role models, educators, and community leaders. We have failed to show them what it means to be a man, and what it means to be a black man in America. We have failed to provide a counter balance to the negative influence of mass media stereotypes, the glamour of the gangsta rap videos, the lure of the drug ‘game’, and the allure of the so-called ‘thug life’.

How many black men actually have full-time careers educating, uplifting, and empowering black males? How many black men pursue careers in education, and then teach in inner-city schools? How many black men start fraternal organizations to fellowship with other black males of diverse socio-economic backgrounds? How many black men operate community service organizations to exclusively serve the needs of underserved black male youth and adults? Not many, and definitely not enough.

It’s common knowledge (or should be) that boys follow behind men, and do what they see men do. Therefore, when black men act like they care, young black males will act like they care. When black men start engaging young black males as fathers, mentors, role models, educators, and community leaders, then young black males will start engaging other black males in the same manner.

When black men step up to the plate and do what they are supposed to do, then young black males will naturally follow.”
- Mike Jones, Founder and Executive Director of Black Men Rising
( Props to Black Gives Back )