Great Staff Keeps Re-2 Special Education Rocking

December 2 marked Special Education Day, a day to celebrate the special people who serve Special Education students.

It marks the anniversary of the passing of the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law, signed by President Gerald Ford in 1975, ensured that every American child with special education needs would have access to the services they needed to learn and thrive in an educational setting.

“This was a landmark law,” said Rahe. “Prior to IDEA, students with different needs could be turned away by schools. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act changed everything.”
Denise Rahe and Julie Goldberg, Directors of Special Education for the Garfield Re-2 School District explained that the team of special educators in Re-2 is passionate about the mission.

“We have so many dedicated people serving our students,” shared Goldberg.”From the highly specialized, loving, compassionate person, that's driving the special education bus and picking up students in the morning, to the physical therapist providing services for students who are constrained by a wheelchair and giving them access to movement throughout the day; from the paraprofessional that's helping or one of the registered behavioral technicians who's helping with behavioral support - we have so many staff members that provide support for our students every day.”

The Special Education department provides services at no cost to parents of children who have been determined to qualify for special education and related services. These services can include special instruction in the classroom for identified learning disabilities, speech and language services, physical therapy, and social-emotional support. All services are included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that is required to be reviewed by staff and parents on a regular basis.

“Some students may just need a person to connect with to check in and out with on a very limited basis,” said Goldberg. “Some of our students need to have someone next to them helping them access the educational setting because they are wheelchair-bound or have a feeding tube. We have students who are deaf, and some with vision impairments. There is such a spectrum of needs and we meet them with our amazing and talented team of special educators.”

The range of services is so broad in part because the age range of students served is so vast. The Garfield Re-2 Special Education department provides services for early childhood through programs such as Child Find and the 18-21 year old Transitions program. Child Find is a system in Colorado for identifying young children suspected of having developmental delays, while the 18-21 year old Transitions program is a support system for traditionally for mild or moderately impacted students that focuses on independent life skills such as cooking, cleaning, filling out job applications and navigating public transportation.

Currently, the Garfield Re-2 Special Education department serves nearly 600 students, aged 3 - 21, district-wide. Once a student receives a diploma, the child is no longer eligible to receive services.

They key to providing special education services, said Rahe lies in the word individual.
“We need a vast array of programming because every child is different. When President Ford signed the law, it was a one size fits all approach. Not every child that has a reading disability, needs the same approach. We need a variety of strategies,” she explained.

Rahe, who is transitioning out of the Director position, said that the Garfield Re-2 Special Education team is exceptional.

“They've just been amazing. They've been stressed and they have been pulled in every direction. All of the staff is spread thin and our teachers and staff have all risen to the occasion. They've taken on so much extra, and they've just been amazing through it all,” she explained.
If families have questions about services that may be available for their child, Goldberg said, they should first start at their school counselor, or classroom teacher. She added that many times, staff will reach out early to discuss all available supports.

“It's important to look at all areas of need - not just academics . Our job is to serve and support students to be successful. So communication is definitely the first step.”

Garfield Re-2 is proud of our Special Education team.