It takes a special kind of educator to be a special education teacher. They need to be knowledgeable, innovative, compassionate and flexible. They frequently take the lead in coordinating school personnel, family members and others in the community to work together as a team to help a child succeed. Special education teachers must interpret and implement national, state and district law, policies and procedures. And most importantly, they have to find a unique way to reach and teach each student. It's an incredibly tall order, but the rewards are tremendous.

If you are up for the challenge of a career in special education or want to learn new tools and skills to reach the variety of learners in your classroom, then the Antioch program can provide you with the highest quality training leading to a special education endorsement in the states of Washington and Alaska.

Designed for certified teachers and offered in collaboration with the Center for the Promotion of Learning Abilities (CPLA), this program meets the requirements for a Washington Special Education Endorsement. Delivered through an integrated format, courses are taught by a team and designed around a coherent philosophical and theoretical framework drawn from a systems view of understanding human motivation, learning and behavior. Within a framework of professional and ethical practice, the curriculum enables you to:

• Assess, diagnose and evaluate special needs populations.
• Define and work with individual learning differences.
• Plan the content and practice of a continuum of service for special needs.
• Manage student behavior and social interactions skills.
• Communicate and build collaborative partnerships necessary to address the needs of special learner populations.

Antioch's program qualifies a teacher to apply for a special education endorsement on an Alaska teacher certificate.

The program also meets the standards for professional practice established by the Council for Exceptional Children. To learn more about special education competencies and CPLA, please visit www.k12.wa.us/certification/profed/competency.aspx and www.tcpla.com.