School-to-Work is for All Youth
As a parent of a 24 year old with a disability I was anxious for my son
to be part of the community and experiencing career goals as a part of his
school day. For him, the classroom was not a good learning environment.
He was an experiential learner - a hands on learner. It was also important
for him to learn in the context of the "real" environment.
As the parent of three additional teens and adults I also saw the value
of learning reading, math, science, and other academics while on the job
or in the real environment.
I think that the school-to-work initiative has the potential to provide
ALL youth and adults with opportunities to move outside the traditional
classroom and find success in real life through hands-on experiences.
We Are Really More Alike...
We are really more alike than we are different. Each child has unique
strengths, gifts, and talents. Each child also has areas they are not as
strong in. However, ALL children and youth need guidance, support, and
help with finding out what they are good at, what they are interested in,
and what they need help with. Whether a young person has a disability or
not, is not the real issue. Whether we treat all young people equally,
provide equal opportunity, and provide equal access to all options for
planning their future, is the issue.
Fears of a Parent...
As an advocate for youth with all disabilities, I often find that the
school classroom schedules and activities leave many kids feeling inadequate
and unsuccessful. The dropout rate and lack of self-esteem, especially
for those with hidden disabilities (learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral
disabilities) is very high. Yet those same teens can be very successful
in the work place, really understand the relevance of academics, and significantly
increase their skills given the right opportunities. We can learn valuable
lessons from the experiences that have been provided for students with
disabilities for many years - those experiences, such as an Individual
Education Plan for each student and work experience outside the classroom,
have proven to have great benefits.
Another fear I have as a parent, which is most likely a fear for all
parents, is the fear of vulnerability of my children. Many times for kids
with disabilities, there is more risk of people taking advantage of them.
Even if they aren't at risk for abuse, there may be risk for teasing and
taunting and involvement with persons that may put them at risk. For my
son, involvement in the community and job meant that he had to travel on
the bus alone. He would often talk about how cruel people were and how
afraid he was when he was traveling. The school building is a safe and
protected environment. Lucky for me, I had a friend who would ask me "Isn't
Christian going to live in the community when he is out of school?"
Many parents may have fears about their children's safety and vulnerability
when participating in community experiences. For me, the quality of my
son's life had to be a major consideration equal to or more important than
the fears and nightmares.
Lifework Plans for ALL Youth
Wouldn't it be great to have individual education planning meetings for
ALL youth? Minnesota now has legislation on Lifework Plans for ALL students.
A school may develop lifework plans for all of their students to help students
and families plan for the student's future. There is no age limit on starting
a lifework plan, which means we could begin this plan in elementary school
and it could follow the student throughout their school career. Many of
the concepts and strategies used in an individual education planning meeting
for students with disabilities, can easily be used with ALL youth.
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