While the state of secondary education in this country remains chaotic as both public and private schools pivot and dodge the COVID crisis, one fact remains consistent. There have never been more options for young people who are challenged by learning differences than now.
From those early days in the 1960s, when students, who were labeled “slow learners,” were gently encouraged to leave school and start a vocational career, through the 1970s when they were segregated and sent to “opportunity rooms” in the basements of their schools, the field of special education has graduated in both methodology and best practices to offer children who learn differently and at different speeds a way forward with no limits placed on where they can go with their lives and careers.
One of the regional leaders in this dynamic field is the Wye River Upper School. With a downtown campus in Centreville, the Wye has made it its mission to serve its students’ individual needs since 2002. Since opening its doors, it has found creative ways, including using technology, to reach each student where they are while building and reinforcing a structure tailored to their unique needs.
The Spy sat down with Matt Cowan, the Wye’s Assistant Head of School, to talk about the phenomenal progress being made with Wye students to achieve academically and in an environment that encourages family ties and citizenship skills will last a lifetime.
This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about Wye River Upper School please go here
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.