Teacher Joe

It takes a special kind of person to be a special ed teacher, especially in a huge district like San Francisco. They work a little magic with very little in the way of resources. San Francisco may be a little better than many places because of the diversity of the population, the willingness to try new things and the proximity to so many good colleges to attract the best and brightest teachers. On the other hand, it may be a lot worse because of the size of the district, and the breadth of issues that arise because we have such a diverse population. Multiple languages and cultures, learning styles, parental support, etc. Also, money problems abound here and everywhere (Especially in California) and teachers are asked to do more and more on their own dime. Maggie has been fortunate enough to have teachers willing to take that step for their students.
Teacher Joe is her current teacher and he is a cool guy. He is kind and gentle and he keeps expectations high for his students. Since his students are generally the most severely disabled, that is a bit unusual. But guess what? High expectations translate into high achievement. Teacher Joe, like Teachers Emily and Sheila before him, have pushed Maggie to do things I never thought possible.
Joe is the kind of guy that doesn’t change his plans to spend the long Labor Day weekend visiting his mother in law on the Gulf Coast even though Hurricane Gustav is bearing down. He goes anyway so they can keep her company during the long and scary storm. His flight home was cancelled and he missed school for a couple of days but returned safe and sound yesterday.
He is the kind of guy that plays the straight man to Maggie so she can tell jokes at the school talent show using her talker. Her former teacher Emily did the same thing. You don’t know how huge that is. Participating in the talent show – or any other school function – makes Maggie a true member of that school community. Maggie attends a typical big city middle school, but her classroom and school day are anything but typical. It would be easy to stay isolated and protected from the throng of typical students, but it wouldn’t be any fun, so Teacher Joe keeps them active in many school activities. The classroom is a busy place with therapists, nurses, and all types of teachers in and out all the time. It can be exhausting for everyone (especially Maggie, pictured with Joe). But Joe greets everyone with a smile and insists that adults conduct their business quietly so as not to disturb the learning that goes on.

Today is Teacher Joe’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Joe. We want to wish you a great day and another great year. Thanks for all you do for Maggie and all the kids.