Special education teacher Caroline Mar, 28, sees her work through a social justice lens. The San Francisco native says her experience at elite Smith College helped her realize that quality education is often a privilege for a few while institutional racism and other factors prevent many people from having access. She is dedicated to using her classroom to break down barriers, empower and open doors to opportunity.

“When it comes to social justice and equity and access, special education is a big part of that. Making sure that my students have access to an education that’s really going to prepare them to be independent and successful is about ensuring equity and access for them, and making sure that they have the same opportunities that other folks have,” said Mar.

Her own experience in middle school demonstrated the influence teachers can have on their students’ lives and got her thinking about a teaching career. “I was always a good student academically but I wasn’t always the best student behaviorally. I had a few teachers who recognized that I had a lot to offer even though I was quirky and rebellious, and they nurtured that.”

The San Francisco native left California in 2001 to attend Smith College in Massachusetts to major in sociology and anthropology. Yet it wasn’t until her senior year, when she did an internship with Teach for America, that the possibility of teaching arose again.

Teach for America is a national non-profit that recruits, trains and places teachers in public schools for a two-year commitment. Loosely inspired by the Peace Corp, the organization assigns teachers to high-need schools in urban and rural areas where low-income students face big achievement gaps.

Mar became a participant in the program and eventually ended up in a San Francisco special education classroom. She is now entering her fourth year of teaching at International Studies Academy, and recently became chair of the Special Education department.

The first years were a bustle of lesson plans, grading papers and teaching. The administration, school librarian and a mentor provided through the school district gave her crucial support. “No matter what type of program you go through, the first year of teaching is really hard. It’s an incredibly steep learning curve.”

The third year was a game changer. With her curriculum established, she strategically made room for other activities, and became advisor to a club for all students. This brought other students into her classroom and changed their perspective that it was a place only for “dumb” kids.

Her students’ mild to moderate disabilities, such as reading, visual or auto processing disorders, present different obstacles than more visible impairments. “They don’t look different they don’t sound different, no one can tell. But when it comes time to apply for a job it’s incredibly challenging for them to handle a job application. It’s really important to give my kids the coping skills to advocate for themselves.”

Mar started with a self-contained class working with the same students most of the day. More recently the school has switched to an inclusion model, a growing trend in California. “People have found that segregating students is generally not a good idea. African America, Latino and English-learners are much more likely to be identified as having a learning disability than their higher income white peers. It became a very segregated world and often even physically separate because special education classes are often located in a bungalow separated from the school building.”

Her inclusion model places her students in general education classes based on their ability. It also includes co-teaching.

“When you have two teachers in a room (one of whom has special education expertise and the other one who has a lot of content knowledge), you can really increase your impact. Helping them in the way they need help before it gets so bad that they are two grade levels behind.”

For Mar, one of the best things about being a special education teacher is getting to know her students in a way that general educators can’t (because they teach larger classes). Mar works with the same students throughout their entire school life and, as mandated by law, meets with their parents at least once a year to go over the students’ Individual Education Plans (IPAs).

“You get to watch your students learn how to advocate for themselves. High school is a great age, a crazy age. You get to watch them learn how to navigate all of that and figure stuff out for themselves.”

And, there is room for leadership and growth. In her third year Mar became the department chair, something that wouldn’t have happened if she had been a general education teacher.

Being a special education teacher has also satisfied Mar’s social justice spirit. “If you’re going into teaching because you want to make a difference, special ed is an area where there are tremendous possibilities to make an impact; where you can be working to close multiple kinds of achievement gaps.”

Mar says the long days, increased responsibilities and the daily frustrations are all worth it when she sees her students succeed and overcome barriers.

Interested in becoming a special education teacher? Check out the California State Department of Education’s one-stop resource site for aspiring teachers, TEACH California, at www.teachcalifornia.org.