Schools

Kendall County Special Ed Co-Op Helped This Student Immensely

Opinion: Completely cutting this resource off from the kids who so desperately need it is foolish, says this former student.

OPINION

By Rebecca Shinault
Kendall County Special Ed Co-Op Graduate

I graduated from Oswego East in 2007, but before I had the pleasure of attending an Oswego school I was a student of District 131. East Aurora High to be more exact. Being a disabled student I have always had an Individualized Education Program (IEP), but I never knew I did until my freshman year of high school.

I had occasional meetings with physical therapists and counselors throughout my schooling, but no one really listened. I was told what I needed, and no one paid attention to what I really did need. I always wondered how I could have an IEP, a written document describing what accommodations I needed to make my education as productive as possible as a disabled student, could be written without my knowledge or input. Accommodations that I didn't need were written in, and others that would have helped me much more were left out. All because no one took the time to get to know me. No one bothered to ask me what would help me. Don't get me wrong. They were lovely people who really did care, they were just such a small group spread too thin. They got so engulfed in the job and the paperwork that they lost sight of what we really needed — an advocate that listened to us and worked with us to protect us and help us through the challenges of school life.

Find out what's happening in Oswegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When I moved to Oswego, it was a total culture shock. The first week I hated it, I wanted to go back. But then this crazy woman with even crazier hair met with me. She talked with me for the entire block, she really got to know me. Imagine my surprise when I found out she was my case manager. I didn't even know what a case manager was. I immediately thought it was a weird title for some kind of in-school warden sent by my parents to ruin my life.

Two weeks later she was back, and we talked, and talked. She asked me what I thought would help me in school. She asked if my old IEP was working for me. Honestly, I couldn't say that it was simply because I didn't know what accommodations were made for me. Teachers didn't tell me, and my parents never thought I needed to know. I never knew the contents of my IEP from District 131 until I found a copy in my father's office my junior year. She was the first person to ever tell me anything about something that was written about me, for me.

Find out what's happening in Oswegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She helped me through so much in school and life. She was my voice where I didn't have one. She fought for me when no one else would. Most of the administration hated it, but she didn't care. All she cared about was that I had what I needed. She would fight tooth and nail for my rights as a student. Then I found out she had 30-plus kids at different schools in different districts. If just one woman provided by the Kendall County special education co-op was able to impact my life so drastically, plus the rest of her students, I can't even begin to fathom why anyone in their right mind would want to withdraw from such an amazing organization.

Is the co-op perfect? No, but completely cutting this resource off from the kids who so desperately need it is foolish. I came from a place where the district handled special education and I almost drowned. The co-op was a blessing for me and so many others, in fact if it weren't for the services provided by the co-op I wouldn't be who I am today.





Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here