Excerpts

Introduction

Breaking the Silence

This is not a book about special education. It is not an admonition to comply with special education law, nor is it an impassioned plea for social justice. This is a book about possibilities. This is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. The chapters document the tenacity of students who have battled against the odds in a world that often does not hear them. This is a glimpse into the lives of high school students and a chance to hear their own experiences in their own words.

It is clear that the power of this book lies in the honesty of the students. They speak openly of successes, failures, heartaches, and fears. Ultimately they triumphed, often in spite of a system that seemed to prevent them from being heard. Sadly, most students’ voices are drowned out by the bureaucracy and pressures of educational systems. It is time to break the silence….

Chapters by many of the students tell the story of the challenges they faced and overcame. Sometimes their success was bolstered by teachers who heard their voices; sometimes they relied on fellow students to help them overcome institutional obstacles. What these students offer us is the opportunity to begin building success for all of our students by listening to their voices now, while change can still be effected in our schools. These students have long been talking g to us; it’s time now to hear them.

What kind of a world do we all want to live in? What kinds of educators do we want to be? This book contains the perspectives of professionals who have focused their careers on improving educational outcomes for children. These instructional leaders are visionaries who believe in the power of student voice and have a philosophical commitment o include and involve all students in the learning process. A number of chapters are written by school administrators and classroom teachers who are leading their schools in responding to the voices of the students. These educators have changed their teaching practices because of transformational experiences with children. Other contributors include disability advocates and researchers who diligently investigate the needs of students and transform their findings into effective support systems for individuals who have been denied a “fair shot” at education. We are grateful to these individuals for the talent and insight they have added to this topic….

Moreover, these chapters are composed entirely by the students, with only minimal editorial assistance. Their remarks are not filtered through any theoretical lens. We provide no thematic analyses or academic bent to their words. The stories are pure so that you can hear what we heard, as our students became our mentors. They inform us of how our roles need to evolve in order to become the teachers children really need.

We offer no judgments of interpretations but merely open a door into the students’ world. We hope you will absorb the power of the messages as they come straight from the hearts of these young men and women. When you embrace the lessons inherent in these stories, we believe you will change your teaching practice forever.

Ultimately, we have the power to change the system that has both encouraged and hindered our students. If we are looking for a direction, we need only ask those who have stepped off the path that the system predetermined for them and set off on their own, beckoning us to follow them. It is easy to hear the message underlying their stories. They are looking for a world that sees the unique value of every child. They are looking for a world that welcomes all children into the social whirlpool of school experiences. They are looking for a world where justice and equity are not merely ideals but are realities of everyday life. These students do not need the language of academia to convey their lessons. Their simple language instructs us in the simple truth of our purpose as educators. We are called on simply to teach – all students – in the ways that they can learn.

As you trace with our students through the world they have encountered, we invite you to hear the power of their voices and to understand the revolution they encourage n our educational system. These students are standard bearers of humanity in our world, and we are challenged to follow their example in our classrooms and in our daily lives.