Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1130365
Peninsula High is a Special Olympics Unified Cham- pion S cho ol b ecause it promot es so ci al inclusion through planned activities. The prestigious title was earned by educators collaborating with Melissa DeCasas. For Daley, supporting athletic events for students with special needs is something that's in his blood. His grandfather founded the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association in Highland Park, Illinois, in 1969, and his father was a special education teacher in Compton for 20 years. " Th e Special O lympics i s about recognizing th e abilities of a population that often isn't seen. Students with special needs need advocates fighting for them to be seen, heard and accepted. An event like this allows our students with special needs to be celebrated — and allows general education students to get over any fear they may have of those who are different. From an event like this, they understand that we are all human. Every- one benefits from participating." He urges other educators to consider becoming involved. "Find out when the Special Olympics is coming to your town and school. Volunteer and be a part of this. See what joy it brings to people's lives. It will definitely change your own life." " An event like this allows our students with special needs to be celebrated — and allows general education students to get over any fear they may have of those who are different." — Patrick Daley, Palos Verdes Faculty Association Cultivating Teacher Leaders The Fullerton Secondary Teachers Organization was recently awarded a two-year $500,000 grant from NEA's Great Public Schools (GPS) fund. FSTO will use the funds to continue the Cultivating Teacher Leaders project, which helps grow and diversify the profession in California. The project began in 2016 with participants from CTA's Instructional Leadership Corps, including FSTO member and grant writer Al Rabanera, Myra Deister and Armandina Turner. The team also includes FSTO member Joan Ke and Aimee Nelson, Institute for Higher Education partner from CSU Fullerton. That year FSTO received a $250,000 GPS grant to launch and support the project. Specifically, the program recruits aspiring educators from historically diverse populations; strengthens partnerships among K-12 districts, higher education institutions, and CTA members and affiliates; mentors educators from high school through university to accreditation and beyond; and provides early-career educators with profes- sional development. In addition to diversifying the existing workforce, it takes "significant steps toward retaining teachers of color in our education system, a proven means of effectively narrowing student achievement gaps," says FSTO President John Marvin. Left to right: Al Rabanera, Myra Deister, Armandina Turner, Joan Ke and Aimee Nelson. 19 J U N E / J U L Y 2 019 S