Wednesday 15 February 2017

Annette Lambeth, Continuing the Fight in Special Education

Fairness is something that we work hard to teach our children. We teach them about sharing their toys, allowing others a turn on the swing set, and the value that reaching out towards others has. At the same time, we still live in a society that is rampant with inequality. Despite the United State’s belief that “all men are created equal”, there is no denying that the truth is far from this. If we look to our education system, this is certainly the case. Students in low-income areas of the United States have less access to resources and opportunities than those in more economically sound areas. Even within affluent neighborhoods, districts, or private school, there is serious inequality. One of the populations of students that is least represented are those in special education. These are students with physical, mental, or learning disabilities that require extra attention, resources, and methods in order to get an equal opportunity at education to their peers.

For educator Annette Lambeth (on Pinterest), fighting for the rights of students with disabilities has been part of her professional life for years. She is currently working as the Executive Director of Student Support Services in the Adams 12 Five Star School District in Colorado, and as such she has overseen a great improvement across all aspects of Special Education programming. Annette Lambeth supervises related services including mental health services, health services, school Medicaid, and the overall budget pertaining to these programs. This is a massive responsibility in terms of logistics, but it is equally challenging in terms of mentality.

Teachers need to be aware of the difficulties that can arise with conditions such as Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, hearing or visual impairment, emotional disturbance, and many others. Parents do as well. At the same time, reducing any student in special education down to their specific disability would be a huge mistake. Students are more than the sum of their disability. They are unique individuals with their own strengths, weaknesses, interests, and personalities. Recognizing this and using it to their advantage is part of working in the special education classroom.

Annette Lambeth works tirelessly towards education equality because since 1975, the federal government has pledged support for all schools helping to cultivate strong educational resources for children with any disability or condition that affects the way that they learn. Her passion has motivated her to take up this legacy in the Adams 12 Five Star District for the ultimate benefit for her students.

Annette Godfrey Lambeth, Learning Disabilities, Parents, and Educators

One of the most important and actively discussed topics in education is the treatment of students with learning disabilities. While many have shouted out against the increasing rise in students with learning disabilities, blaming doctors for over diagnosing and parents with a lack of parents, there is hard scientific proof that many children suffer from medical conditions that make attending and benefiting from school a specific challenge. There are options of medicating students, which at times is truly the best option. However, the conflict that has arisen around the use of medication has also motivated educators and parents to consider alternative options for handling students with learning disabilities.

Annette Lambeth (on CrowdRise) dissects attention deficiency and hyper activity disorders as a professional in the special education industry. Since 1975, the federal government has pledged support for all schools helping to cultivate strong educational resources for children with any disability or condition that affects the way that they learn, and Annette Lambeth is part of the ongoing effort to find the best possible solutions for students around the country. The first step in helping such students is dismantling the social stigma around learning disabilities. Ultimately, the ones who suffer from these stigma are the students, so teachers need to be aware of the difficulties that can arise with conditions such as Attention Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, hearing or visual impairment, emotional disturbance, and many others.

In order to solve the challenges that face students in the classroom, both in and outside of special education, we have to start with parents and teachers. As the Executive Director of Student Support Services in the Adams 12 Five Star School District in Colorado, Annette Lambeth has overseen a great improvement across all aspects of Special Education programming as it relates to learning disabilities.

Annette Lambeth (on CrowdRise) researches best learning styles to optimize student potential in the classroom. Not only do parents and teachers need to educate themselves on the conditions that face many students, they also need to better understand each student individually. Especially when it comes to special education, but certainly not limited to that realm, it is important to realize that students are individuals with a wide variety of learning styles, personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. For this, we need devoted educators who have a vested interest in the challenges that all students face. Luckily, those in the Adams 12 Five Star School District have Annette Lambeth on their side fighting for these rights.