Stacy Galardo

I began teaching at Fairfax High School during the 1999-2000 school year. I was immediately impressed by the energy in place at that Ame at Fairfax, and the closeness of the school community. I currently teach students in the Special Day Class setting in the Special Education Department. My students include students with autism and Specific Learning disabilities, which include, but are not limited to, students with disorders in learning, Visual Processing, Auditory Processing, CogniAve Processing, and Other Health Impairment. The Special Day Class setting at Fairfax High School is a strong academic program that provides our students with the same common core curriculum presented in the general education in (Math, English, Sciences, Social Studies) but within a classroom where the ratio of students to teacher allows for more individualized attention, and a pace that provides extra Ame to ensure comprehension. There is the misconception that students in the Special Day Class setting are not candidates for a four-year college. I’m so very pleased to say that this is not the case. I have had several students in the program aLend four-year colleges; sometimes after attending two years at a community college, and in some cases straight from high school. It’s important to remind our students of their academic abilities and potential and to foster that potential to ensure they meet their highest goal. I am reminded of a particular student who struggled with academics and behavior during the first two years of high school. When J became an 11th grader, he felt the desire to improve himself not only academically, but in terms of his interpersonal skills with his peers and teachers. This resulted in higher grades and a growing focus to be eligible for a California State College. J’s persistence paid off, and he was accepted to California State University, Northridge. J was very gracious in letting his teachers in the Special Day Program know that he appreciated our dedication and patience in helping him to feel the possibility of changing his future path in a positive direction.