12:00: How our schools are dealing with special education staffing shortages
1:00: 'Connections Summer Sessions:' Aging Together: Thomas Connors, Jr. and Nicholas Verzella on their 90-year friendship
Special education teachers provide instruction tailored to the needs of students with disabilities to help them realize their full potential, keeping many of these children from falling through the cracks in our education system. But what happens when there are not enough teachers to go around? There is a nationwide shortage of special education staff, and some local school districts are feeling it. Guest host Julie Philipp examines how schools are addressing the problem, and how St. John Fisher University is working to help fill the gap. In studio:
- Kathy Broikou, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Inclusive Childhood Education and Literacy Programs at St. John Fisher University
- Debra Luna, recruitment and retention specialist at Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES
- Emma Spelman, graduate student in the Inclusive Childhood Education Program at St. John Fisher University and apprentice at Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES
- Eric Vaillancourt, director of teaching, learning and accountability for the Bloomfield Central School District
Then in our second hour, we end this week of "Connections Summer Sessions" special rebroadcasts about aging with two remarkable men. In 2023, we sat down with Thomas Connors, Jr. and Nicholas Verzella. The two men had been friends for 90 years. They met in Kindergarten and attended East Rochester schools together, played sports together, and worked together as teachers for about three decades. They also shared hardships: fighting in World War II, and later in life, losing their wives. Verzella called Connors the brother he never had. Connors passed away in February of this year. We dedicate this special rebroadcast to him. Our guests:
- Thomas Connors, Jr., East Rochester resident
- Nicholas Verzella, East Rochester resident
- John Baynes, Monroe County Legislator in District 18
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
