Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1527898
Between 6,000 and 8,000 heads of lettuce can be grown simultaneously in the large greenhouse, with the program pro- viding the greens to the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Nutrition Services Program to be served to students districtwide. But Magallanes says his students are doing so much more than growing produce — they're learning confidence, exploring and learning about their interests and talents, and thriving in a world that isn't always a friendly place for many of them. " Th e exp o sure i s mo st imp or t ant. Whether it's a welding or ag tech class, these skills are transferable to other industries," says Magallanes, who previ- ously worked as a classified employee in the district. "Exposure is crucial for these students, so they know it's possible." After 18 years in the classroom as a special education teacher, SBTA Vice President Barbara Pastuschek-Cox was recruited to San Andreas to develop spe- cial education-inclusive career & technical education (CTE) programs at the continuation school. She applied for a grant to get her idea of a hydroponics garden program off the ground, and when it wasn't funded, SBCUSD officials decided they wanted to make her idea a reality. What's blossomed from those initial seeds is a world-class, fully inclusive agricultural tech program where students of all abilities work side-by-side as peers, classmates and friends. "Not all our students will go to university and we need to provide options for them, too. Our special education students need hands-on learning in math and the sciences that could lead to a career for them," says Pastuschek-Cox. "It's been a great opportunity for all our students to practice leadership and learn skills that we don't always get to practice in the class- room setting." CTE Pathway Business Partner Sherryl Anderson has worked with Pastuschek-Cox since the program's inception more than a decade ago. When the two first met, Anderson and her part- ner were running their project management and marketing business — with a passion for special education and an interest in food ecosystems. ey looked at the hydroponics project as an opportunity to reimagine education, working with Pastus- chek-Cox to understand the goals for her students and build a professional grade greenhouse with cutting-edge equipment retooled to make it accessible and usable by students of all abilities. " I t 's s o i m p o r t a n t t o t a l k a b o u t opportunities other than college that a r e m e a n i n g f u l f o r s t u d e n t s ," s a y s An d e r s o n , w h o s ay s t h e e x p e r i e n c e is particularly impactful for students with dif ferent abilities. " Th e le vel of confidence by our special education students is astronomi- cal. They lead presentations about the growing process and how the equipment works." While students in general education cycle through the program every seven weeks, San Andreas' students in special education spend all school year learning about the green- house and equipment. is helps create a unique classroom environment where students in special education are literally subject-matter experts and get to teach their classmates about how things work. "It's a unique program because it's at a continuation school and includes special education," says Pastuschek-Cox, who has presented about the program at Stanford Students of all ability levels learn the basics of horticulture using industry-standard equipment and technology. Greenhouse produce is served to students districtwide in the district's nutrition services program. "Whether it's a welding or ag tech class, these skills are transferrable to other industries. Exposure is crucial for these students, so they know it's possible." —Hector Magallanes, San Bernardino Teachers Association 15 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 24