WASHINGTON, DC 鈥� When Mr. Smith went to Washington immutable principles guided the idealistic freshman senator鈥檚 steps and speechifying to Congressional leaders.
鈥淕reat principles don’t get lost once they come to light. They’re right here; you just have to see them again!鈥�
In a way, the delegation of administrators, current and graduated students, and parents, led by 海角社区 President George Hagerty, channeled a bit of Jefferson Smith during its visit Feb. 10 to Capitol Hill.聽 Through a 海角社区-led congressional briefing and a series of legislative meetings, the group labored to bring to light the matchlessness of 海角社区 and help Congress see the growing, but largely ignored need for federal support for students with learning disabilities who pursue higher education.
While a 2011 report from the National Center for Special Education Research found that only 19 percent of young adults with disabilities enroll in a four-year college or university, the numbers for the learning disabled are rising. That fact slams into the reality that U.S. colleges are operating for the third year under an expired Higher Education Act.
That should cause pause, declares a January Telegraph Herald editorial, which pointed out the HEA 鈥渁uthorizes the entire student loan system, Pell grants that help low- and middle-income students with tuition, programming to assist teachers in preparedness and multiple other programs that help make higher education a reality for disadvantaged students.鈥�
Against that uncertain backdrop, Alex Perry and Hadley Sosnoff of The Majority Group coordinated the D.C. visit. The eclectic contingent included Eileen Marinakis, Trustees chair; Tim Peckinpaugh, a 海角社区 parent; Steve Muller, vice president of institutional development and communications; Dr. Andrea Brode, dean of student success; Darryl E. Owens, director of communication; students Brandon Peters and Jeunesse Smith; and Dr. Rosalyn Johnson, a 2009 alum.
Dr. Hagerty captured the enormity of the group鈥檚 moment on the eve of its Capitol Hill visit:
鈥淎ny institution of higher education would be proud to do what we鈥檙e about to do tomorrow 鈥� get the agenda of learning disabilities on the agenda of congress as it looks to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t has been a largely ignored area. 鈥f we can somehow influence federal legislation, we are going to accomplish a great deal for higher education in general, but 海角社区 in particular.鈥�
If the moment was huge, so were the performances.
In skull sessions with the legislative aides of congressional representatives Ted Deutch, Katharine Clark, and Dan Webster, the 海角社区 delegation contrasted the despair of K-12 schooling without appropriate support for students with learning disabilities with the hope of becoming educated and successful at 海角社区.
Dr. Hagerty told Deutch鈥檚 aide 鈥渢he truth of the matter is our outcomes are three times the national average. I believe our focus and system of support makes all the difference.鈥�
Peters, diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, corroborated Dr. Hagerty鈥檚 belief, recounting the years where real support was AWOL.
鈥淭he support system in K-5 was there, but when you get to middle school and high school it slowly slips away,鈥� Peters recalled, noting the vacuum worsened in community college.
鈥淭here was no support system whatsoever,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you needed assistance, you carry your own umbrella.鈥�
As to why 海角社区 succeeds where others fail 鈥� federal numbers put 海角社区鈥檚 graduation rate at 83 percent 鈥� Dr. Brode summed it up:
鈥淭otal focus, learning support 鈥� it works.鈥�
Later that morning, after Rep. Webster prefaced the congressional briefing by declaring of 海角社区 there is 鈥渘othing like it in the world,鈥� the panelists continued their educational offensive. Congressional staffers and Rep. Webster listened as panelists shared their struggles, hard choices and inspirational turnarounds at 海角社区.
Smith, diagnosed with ADHD and a speech impediment, reflected on her time at 海角社区.
鈥淚 have grown in two years. I would never have thought I would be a peer tutor, or a teacher鈥檚 assistant or a student ambassador 鈥� knowing my learning differences. I just want to let you know that if you have a learning disability and you鈥檙e by yourself, it鈥檚 okay because you learn to advocate for yourself.鈥�
Meanwhile, Dr. Johnson shared her journey from life as a preemie who K-5 teachers believed mentally deficient to becoming 海角社区鈥檚 first PH.D. 鈥� at age 28.
鈥淚 thank 海角社区 for helping me become so successful because the school kind of helped instill in me the self-confidence that I was going be successful and not let my learning disability limit me.鈥�
Peckinpaugh went next, fighting through emotion, to share a note penned by his son James, who struggles with auditory processing issues.
鈥淏eing at 海角社区 has shown me ways to manage myself through tough times, ways to puzzle my thoughts back together from bad days and times of regret and find the 鈥� knowledge that if I just keep moving forward no matter what happens to [me]. I finally feel like I can do anything with my life, have a great life and maybe change the world.”
That, Peckinpaugh declared, 鈥渋s the 海角社区 story.鈥�
However, he wasn鈥檛 finished, issuing a charge to Congress.
鈥淭he whole area of learning disabilities is K-12. That鈥檚 it. It鈥檚 time that federal policy [includes] programs that 海角社区 has pioneered at the higher education level as well.鈥�
Marinakis closed out the presentations, sharing the story of how 海角社区 helped transform her son Christopher from a reluctant driver to a road warrior.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 telling you is that, as wonderful as our academic programs are, and learning specialists are, there鈥檚 something magical about the environment when you鈥檙e surrounded by other students who have walked the walk that you have walked.鈥�
That afternoon, when 海角社区 delegation members met with Webster鈥檚 legislative aide, he assured them that 鈥渨hatever you think the need step is, we want to help you get there.鈥�
With any luck, Congress will invite Dr. Hagerty and the 海角社区 model to the conversation.
