Why Are There No Alternative Education Training Programs for Teachers?

Episode 1.4 - Why Are There No Alternative Education Teacher Training Programs? 

 

In this episode, we discuss the often overlooked abyss of Alternative Education Training.  

 

Too often, districts and schools place teachers in alternative education schools/programs without any regard to best practices, let alone having faculty/staff who understand or lean into any of the pedagogies that best serve students in that environment.  

 

Are you trained in best practices that covers:

• Severely traumatized students?
• School Phobia?
• Students with high anxiety?
• Students who have become disenfranchised?
• Students on the brink of dropping out?
• Students who are under suspension?
• Students who are expelled?
• Students who require Drug and Alcohol services?
• Students in residential treatment?
• Court Adjudicated students?
  Students who are talented and gifted?
• Students who require more intellectual challenges?
• Students who do not fall into the regular categories of the typical student? 
• Surely, there are so many more to list than we can put here. 

 

Are you trained in Open Mindset? 

Can you teach from a student-centered approach? 

 What are the aspects you wish you’d been given some training in?

Are you familiar with the various pedagogies and philosophies? 

 

Not all Alternative Education programs/schools are alike.  Every one of them has its own purpose and personality.  

 

Why do districts take students who cannot find a place in their schools, and react to their finding only failure, by placing them into an “Alternative Setting” - note the negative connotation) where they are told to stay until their “sentence” is served, or they graduate?  In other words (probably not very eloquent), why do districts use alternative education settings as a punishment for students they claim to want to serve better?  Is the irony lost on them? 

 

According to the American Statistical Association (2014) schools have a 1-14% impact on student learning outcomes.   Has that truly changed?  This means that the majority of the learning the student encounters is from their own personal environment outside the school system. Where do your students fall on that scale? 

 

Let us know your thoughts!  

Also, be sure to check out your Alternative Education rules and definitions for your state by searching in your state’s Department of Education database.  

 

Also, don't forget to join the new podcast, Alternative Jigsaw, A podcast that helps newer teachers begin to access the use of their instrument and talents in working in Alternative Education.

Please do visit the National Association for Alternative Education for more resources! 

And, visit AERO for more resources.

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