Co-Teaching at Dearborn Schools Helps Student With Autism Become Author

State Board of Education Hears Special Ed Success Stories

Dearborn High School student Hadi Najjar, third from left, gives a presentation at this week’s State Board of Education meeting.

LANSING – A Dearborn Public Schools program that has students with disabilities being co-taught by general and special education teachers has helped Hadi Najjar succeed in his courses and become a published author.

At Tuesday’s State Board of Education meeting, Hadi, 16, a sophomore at Dearborn High School who has autism, and Mr. Mike Esseily, executive director of special populations for the district, discussed how co-teaching has benefited students.

“Overall, with my co-teachers I always felt like I had someone who accepted me without judgment and (supported) me with navigating my academics, school, and life,” Hadi told board members. His book, "Different Ability,” covers his experiences growing up with autism.

Dearborn began co-teaching in 2005, Esseily said. For students who receive special education services, co-teaching involves a general education teacher and a special education teacher working in coordination with a focus on specially designed instruction.

“It’s truly the power of two,” Esseily said. “It’s not just teaching the same old way. The needs of every single child are being met.”

The high standards of the co-teaching program have brought increased graduation rates, Esseily said. The district’s three high schools have special education graduation rates of nearly 82%. All students feel like a part of the school community, he said, and general education students develop empathy.

The Dearborn presentation was one of two at the education board meeting related to special education.

A second presentation provided an update on Michigan Department of Education (MDE) efforts to support students with disabilities related to federal requirements for schools to provide a free and appropriate public education to special education students in the least restrictive environment. MDE Office of Special Education leaders are visiting every intermediate school district (ISD) in the state over a six-year cycle to ensure schools are meeting conditions of federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants.

“We are working in partnership with intermediate school districts and local schools to ensure that students with disabilities are participating in their least restrictive environment as determined by their Individualized Education Program teams,” said Dr. Michele Harmala, deputy superintendent of Educator Excellence, Career and Technical Education, Special Education, and Administrative Law. “It’s important for children who receive special education services to be in the classroom and other school environments with their general education peers to the greatest extent appropriate. We appreciate the work that ISDs and local school districts are doing in this area.” 

Ms. Teri Rink, director of the MDE Office of Special Education, and special education leaders from four intermediate school districts discussed how the monitoring process helps students who receive special education services. The ISD leaders who presented at the meeting were Dr. Jen Taiariol, assistant superintendent of special education and early intervention services for Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency; Ms. Kristina Penfold, director of special education for Copper Country ISD; Ms. Susanne Masters, director of special education for Bay Arenac ISD; and Ms. Andrea Scheidel, assistant superintendent of special education for Wexford-Missaukee ISD.

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