RESOURCES
Welcome New Special Education Administrators!
The Many Hats of A LEADER in Special Education
Jim Gallagher, VCASE President-
On behalf of the Virginia Council of Administrators of Special Education (VCASE),
I extend to you a warm welcome into the wonderf
ul world of special education leadership.
As I considered an appropriate title for this welcome letter, several Dr. Seuss
books came to my mind. I first thought about The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins.
But then, another title popped into my mind, If I Ran the Circus. Both are probably
very appropriate in beginning to paint the picture of the journey you are about to
undertake. After some thought, I decided that it would be appropriate to focus on
a brief look at a few key elements of your job as a leader in special education.
It is likely that many of you have already had experiences serving students with disabilities and their families through the leadership positions that have led you to this point in your careers. However, you now become the heart and soul of special education in your respective divisions. With this position comes power, but not the power that you might think. The power that comes with your position is the power to make a positive difference in the lives of students with disabilities to a degree much greater than you have ever have before. In fact, your position is less about power in the traditional sense and more about empowerment. By empowering others through your capable and skillful efforts, you truly become A LEADER in special education. So, what does that mean? Here are but a few of the leadership roles that will shape your journey to come. Oh, the many hats that you’ll wear!
The Many Hats that truly make you A LEADER
ADVOCATE
FACILITATOR
MEDIATOR
COLLABORATOR
DIRECTOR
JUGGLER
COMMUNICATOR
First things first. I think it goes without saying that all of us in this profession are advocates for children. This requires no transformation, but already exists within you and has for a long time. However, as you transition into your position as an administrator inspecial education, you must not forget about that very important piece of who you are. This can become difficult at times as you work hard to meet the budgetary needs of your division, or work to keep your division in legal compliance with regulations, or as you train your teachers in the best practices in special education. Despite the challenges, you must stay mindful of the most important question that drives us all as we make decisions every day, “Is this in the best interest of the child.” Of all of your roles, that of being an advocate for students sits high on the list and should remain present in your mind as you face important decision each and every day.
As your division’s special education leader, you will find that, though you are probably
very talented and capable, you cannot independently dictate the path of all processes
and practices in the special education world. You will likely find that by taking
a facilitative approach in supporting and encouraging the talents in others throughout
the division, you will end up with positive results. Without question, you will need
to establish the framework within which all of the talented leaders and educators
in your division must work. Being that special education is so incredibly regulated
and monitored, you will need to set certain “non-
In your new journey, it is important to remember that Mediation is not just something that you request from VDOE to resolve issues before they blossom into due process hearings. No, mediation is a valuable skill that you undoubtedly already possess or you wouldn’t have made it into your current position with any remaining semblance of sanity. You are often the person who must lay the ground rules among the larger group or team with which you are working. This practice is especially important because your leadership here willidentify and establish the expected behaviors of all parties and allow them to work effectively together to reach meaningfuldecisions. Another key role that you will play as a mediator is to be a great listener. By listening carefully to words and to the actions of others, particularly in the team meeting process, you will be able to understand the real issues at hand and to calmly redirect everyone toward common goals related to the primary focus, the child.
It is very important to always remember that you are not alone. You are now one of many leaders in special education throughout your region and throughout the state who has the luxury of drawing upon a strong network of support made up of your peers. You have the opportunity to collaborate with directors with vast amounts of wisdom and experience who share your vision and who are willing and able to help at a moment’s notice if you just give a shout. Take advantage of this support. Participate actively in your regional directors meetings; tune into Special Education State Council meetings; talk frequently with the directors in the division that surround your locality. Your regional director representatives, your assigned mentors and VCASE not only provide you with information and resources, but a professional family that is there for you and always seeking to help.
As you use your skills and leadership techniques to empower others, there will no doubt be frequent occasions that will require you to be very directive, thus the title. Your new job definitely requires a fair amount of direct and specific communication that promptly moves others toward decisive action, oh, and I dare say more than a pinch of intestinal fortitude.Whether it is in the midst of an IEP meeting, outlining professional expectations in a personnel meeting, or overcoming philosophical differences with school principals, youwill undoubtedly find the true director within you.
Though you didn’t sign on to join the circus, nor wish to fulfill a childhood dream of being an awe inspiring street performer, you will quickly develop the skills of a master juggler. I am not sure what the Guinness Book record is for number of items juggled, but trust me; you have a great shot at breaking it. The objects you have flying rhythmically through the air will have letters printed on them. No ordinary letter, but letters such as AYP, SPP, IDEA, LRE, IEP, ESEA, BIP, FBA, to name but a very few. Your job as master juggler will be to not only effectively manage all of the items in the air, but not to skip a beat as each one or your itemscontinues to change in shape and design at the exact moment that you become comfortable with its use. Sounds tough, but you will find that you become a qualified master street performer in no time at all.
I wrap up my overview of some of the key skills you will demonstrate as a leader
in special education with an emphasis on probably the most essential skill that you
will need to be effective in your position. You will need to be an effective communicator.
Communication is at the heart of effective special education practices. As you maneuver
through the myriad of paths that await you and hurdle the many obstacles thrown before
you, you will observe numerous situations where a small tweak in the way people communicate
could make all the difference in the world in helping the special education process
become a well-
Have a wonderful year!