{"id":138105,"date":"2021-03-30T11:11:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-30T21:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=138105"},"modified":"2021-03-30T11:11:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T21:11:16","slug":"special-education-recruiting-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/03\/30\/special-education-recruiting-campaign\/","title":{"rendered":"Passion, beauty of special education showcased through recruiting campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

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A multi-media campaign addressing the ongoing challenges of special education (SPED<\/abbr>) teacher recruitment and retention in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> has been launched. The “Every Student Deserves Someone Special”<\/a> project specifically promotes SPED<\/abbr> programs while helping to destigmatize special education and foster support for individuals with disabilities. It is a partnership between the University ofÂ鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa College of Education (COE<\/abbr>) Department of Special Education<\/a> and the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Department of Education (HIDOE<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n

The goal of “Every Student Deserves Someone Special” is to increase the number of students pursuing a teaching degree or certificate through the UH<\/abbr> System. COE<\/abbr> SPED<\/abbr> Recruitment Specialist and Campaign Lead Janet Kim<\/strong> said, “This campaign allows for us to change the narrative around special education and students with disabilities in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. As a former special education teacher, myself, I feel like this is our opportunity to showcase the real passion and beauty of what we do and who we serve.”<\/p>\n

The key components of the campaign, which were produced by Kai Media, are radio commercials, social media videos, and various informational videos that feature inspirational stories and testimonials from SPED<\/abbr> teachers, teacher-candidates, COE<\/abbr> alumni, students, administrators and parents.<\/p>\n

The website also highlights a group of inaugural SPED<\/abbr>ucator Project<\/a> fellows, called SPED<\/abbr>ucators. Made up of 20 HIDOE<\/abbr> special education teachers selected for their passion, ingenuity and excellence in their field, the fellows have been convening twice a month since November 2020.<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s no script, no one being told what to say and what not to say,” explained Kim. “The goal is to shed light on the realities of what truly makes special education special. We\u2019re able to do this because of these 20 incredible SPED<\/abbr>ucators who represent the wide scope and breadth of what special education looks like across Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. Our hope is that, through this work, we will find more individuals who are passionate and committed to making a real difference in the lives of students with disabilities.”<\/p>\n

There are SPED<\/abbr> credentialing options available at three UH<\/abbr> campuses—UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa<\/a>, UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span><\/a> and Leeward Community College<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This effort is an example of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s goal of Enhancing Student Success<\/a> (PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Â鶹´«Ã½<\/a> (PDF<\/abbr><\/span>), updated in December 2020.<\/p>\n