Running head: IN PURSUIT OF

Application Assignment 1: In Pursuit of a Just and Democratic Society

Susan G. Reyes Vasquez
Walden University

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Application Assignment 1: In Pursuit of a Just and Democratic Society

This assignment is presented in two distinct, yet interrelated, sections. Part 1: Chart is
comprised of a chart that details various aspects of special education policy. Part 2: Reflection is
an essay that further evaluates the data presented in the chart.

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Part 1: Chart
In Pursuit of a Just and Democratic Society
Component
Leadership

Advocacy

Policy

Law

Part 2: Reflection

Media Example
Media Source Citation
Leadership: Theory and Practice
Northouse, P. G. (2009). Leadership: Theory &
practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc.

Personal Experience
Example
A decision by leadership
to assign special
educators to several
classrooms and grade
levels to collaborate
with lead teachers
working with students
who have IEPs.
The Power of 504.
When my son was
Veltri, D. (Producer). (1997). The Power of 504. diagnosed with ADHD
United States: Treehouse Video. (Available from and I requested that his
DREDF/504 Commemoration, 2212 6th St.,
school develop a 504
Berkeley, CA 94704).
plan to meet his
educational needs.
Senate Hearing on ADA
Our democratic system
Senate Hearing 100926 Americans With
of governance dictates
Disabilities Act of 1988. (1988, September
that legislators be
27). Joint Hearing before the Subcommittee on informed on the matters
the Handicapped of the Committee on Labor
that they are
and Human Resources United States Senate and establishing policy for.
the Subcommittee on Select Education of the
In my own life I have
Committee on Education and Labor House of had the opportunity to
Representatives, One Hundredth Congress,
participate in the
Second Session on S. 2345. [Transcript].
process of informing
Washington, DC. Retrieved
our elected
fromhttp://www.law.georgetown.edu/archiveada representatives on
/documents/ada9-27-1988_000.pdf
matters of education by
presenting testimony at
the local level.
Leadership, Advocacy, Policy, and Law.
As an administrative
Fowler, F. C., Hulett, K. E., & Kieff, J. E.
manager working in
(2011). Leadership, advocacy, policy, and
government relations I
law (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.).
studied how education
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
law is developed and
implemented.

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Each of the above examples can serve to illuminate the importance that roles play in the
areas of special education leadership, advocacy, policy, and law. Some of the examples are just,
others unjust. Some examples show effective actions and others show ineffective leadership
choices. Leadership, as Northouse (2009) points out, is a process that involves not only a
particular strata of a team but rather engages all staff members. Such an understanding of
leadership is essential to ensuring the success of a system.
Leadership
Roles can benefit systems by establishing boundaries for the people involved. In my role
as a teacher there were times when I would disagree with my administrators. In the case of the
example that I noted in the table I found the situation to be both unjust and ineffective. The
decision by my schools leaders with regards to the process by which the needs of our students
would be met actually served to stymie the teams efforts. While such a plan appeared to be the
most useful strategy (i.e. providing a structural forum for collaborative planning) it ended up
being a source of conflict throughout our school building. In a perfect world specialists and
classroom teachers (as well as support staff) would instinctually find a way to meet the needs of
the students by relying upon the strengths of each team member. However, within the school that
I was working there was an implication that the each professional was to stay within their own
area of expertise and only work to address specific needs that were related to the domain of
certification. This philosophy encouraged team members to squabble about what to do with the
special education students in each classroom. It was not physically possible for the special
education teacher to be in each classroom each day for the number of service hours required by

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

the students IEPs. A better strategy would have been to establish an inclusive classroom where
the special educator, general educator, and support staff (to include dedicated aides) could
provide services to the special education students in a more comprehensive way without being
encumbered by staff conflicts over territory and job descriptions.
Advocacy
From an example from my professional life we now go to an example of advocacy from
my personal life. For some time I had suspected that my son had a different learning style than
his classmates. During parent teacher conferences and in conversation with school staff I would
hear that he was a bright boy but that his grades did not reflect his ability. It was such
conversations that prompted me to request academic and cognitive assessments for him. The
school staff did complete such assessments but there was no indication of a learning disability.
However, during the course of the various surveys, it was discovered that my sons behavior was
consistent with having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Had it not been for the work of
special education advocates, like those highlighted in the video, I would not have been able to
successfully advocate for my son. The approach used by the activists in the video was highly
effective as it demonstrated to the general public the plight of those who were then known as
disabled but who are now known as being differently abled. The activists in the video gave
credence to the importance of legislative mandates that ensure the civil liberties of the public are
protected. The demonstration created a dialogue that equates access to services to civil rights. In
so doing the general public began to reframe their vision of handicapped individuals. It is this
social justice dialogue that helps to inform the next topic on our chart: policy.

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Policy
Policy informs, guides, directs, and ensures that the just principles by which our nation
was constructed are adhered to. With respect to special education policy the journey to realizing
a critical piece of legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act, was a long and complicated
process. As noted in his opening statement Senator Weiker points out that it is his personal
experiences in parenting a handicapped child that provides a deeper understanding of the issues.
In fact, he clearly indicates that the time has come to end all discrimination (Senate Hearing
100-926, 1988). It is important to note that although this hearing was held more than two decades
after the Brown v. Board of education decision ensuring equal access to education by students of
all races, students and their families were still facing discrimination. Such discrimination was
being allowed to continue because there was not federal policy in place that disallowed it.
Fortunately, our system of governance demands that the needs of all members of society are met
equally. Through the work of advocates, activists, politicians, and analysts, our system of checks
and balances ensures that the rights of the citizenry are ensured. Policy informs our laws, the
next section in our chart.
Law
With regards to law, it is important to consider that the laws are drafted in response to
policy; which itself was drafted in response to the needs of the people. It is the law which directs
our behavior and dictates the moral baseline by which our society functions. Education law has
long been a part of my personal schema. Whether I reflect on my own experiences as a child of

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

desegregation, as an ethnic or linguistic minority, as a female I can see that in one way or
another education law has determined the type and quality of education that I have received. In
a formal context, I was introduced to federal education law in my work in government relations.
In my position as an administrative manager I researched issues pertaining to education law and
its enforcement. While my particular area of focus was related to racial inequities I also saw
how vital the work of legislators and their staff is. Although there are unjust outcomes, the
overall system must be judged to be effective and just.
In conclusion, each of the four aspects of special education are important and necessary
components of an elaborate system. The system provides for input by the public, as well as
avenues for correction of unjust situations. Overall, each component is dependent upon the other;
just as we depend upon the entire system to ensure successful educational outcomes.

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

IN PURSUIT OF A JUST AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

References
Fowler, F. C., Hulett, K. E., & Kieff, J. E. (2011). Leadership, advocacy, policy, and
law (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Northouse, P. G. (2009). Leadership: Theory & practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc.
Senate Hearing 100926 Americans With Disabilities Act of 1988. (1988, September 27). Joint
Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Handicapped of the Committee on Labor and
Human Resources United States Senate and the Subcommittee on Select Education of the
Committee on Education and Labor House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress,
Second Session on S. 2345. [Transcript]. Washington, DC. Retrieved from
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/archiveada/documents/ada9-27-1988_000.pdf
Veltri, D. (Producer). (1997). The Power of 504. United States: Treehouse Video. (Available from
DREDF/504 Commemoration, 2212 6th St., Berkeley, CA 94704).