The Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) Department of Special Education oversees a number of community-based programs to help facilitate students' transition out of high school. Each program offers a unique opportunity to gain real-world experience in the workplace or higher education while serving the community with a dedicated group of workers and students supported by the school system.
"My connection to Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and Glen Burnie High School (GBHS) extends back nine decades to the first graduating class of GBHS. " --Mary Huey
"I have been teaching at Glen Burnie High School for 32 years. People ask me, “Haven’t you retired yet?” My response is: “No, I am still having fun.” I am still being blessed by each child that I meet and I grow in my profession and as a person by seeing the excitement, new ideas and energy of the new teachers and student that come each August." -- Mary Huey
From Monday, May 2 through Friday, May 6, you can make a tax-deductible donation in honor of your favorite past or present AACPS teacher. 100% of your gift will go directly to the school of your choice. Visit our website at www.aacps.org/thankateacher for more information.
Visit our Meet the Faces of AACPS page to read about teachers in our school system, along with all the students, alumni, employees & community members who make AACPS unique.
"Lanay Byers, Retired Teacher Her impact on the lives of these students was not measured in grades, but by the compassion and encouragement she offered to these children...Although my son grew up and moved through middle school and high school within AACPS, he never forgot Mrs. Byers and would always stop at Richard Henry Lee during the Christmas holiday with a small gift to let her know she was often in his thoughts."--Candy Fontz
"We began this project after seeing our friends, neighbors, and colleagues, who were excelling in rigorous course loads and overflowing extracurricular schedules, were not thinking at all about their finances. They spent recklessly, didn't save, lacked a basic understanding of how the economy around them worked, and were altogether unprepared for life after high school..." --Taylor Berger, Annie Myers, Charlotte Sundel
"I absolutely love my role as an Equity Liaison. It allows me to live my passion... My hope is to spread my love for education and for impacting the lives of children, to individuals who also have similar passions." --Mabel Stoll
"I started working for AACPS in 2009. Working for AACPS has provided me the opportunity to grow my career from a teacher to specialist." --Nicole Trader-Morgeson
Dynamic display voice output communication device.
Mark is an ECI student at Ruth P. Eason School. His classroom teachers, speech-language pathologists, and assistive technology specialist have worked collaboratively to provide Mark with a communication tool which best meets his needs. Mark received a dynamic display voice output communication device which he now uses with increasing independence daily. He expresses requests, protests unwanted objects or actions, and shares information with others using his communication device.
Background & ChallengesWilliam was a typically developing infant until around age 12 months. At that time, he began to lose interest in people and started to play with only a few toys in a repetitive fashion. He was no longer smiling at his parents. His pediatrician referred him to the Infants and Toddlers Program, where he was evaluated.
William received services in a specialty program for students with autism from a special educator, speech pathologist, occupational therapist and a technician. He attended the class for 90 minutes/ day, 5 days per week. William made rapid progress, making eye contact, engaging with family members and using words functionally. His parents enrolled in the More Than Words program, designed for family members of children on the autism spectrum. This program helped them learn how to connect with William. William is experiencing so much success that he no longer needs to attend his specialty class. He is able to successfully attend a community preschool with the support of a special education teacher through Community Based Services.
"I student taught in 1972 at Glen Burnie High School and went under contract with the Anne Arundel County Board of Education as a theatre arts teacher. At the time, there were no dance classes offered in the school system, so I developed a dance curriculum for credit, taught it during the school day, and grew it into the largest dance program in a public high school in Maryland." --Dianne Rosso
Background & ChallengesJasmin began her Head Start experience with very few independent hygienic skills. She depended on adults to care for her most basic needs.
Jasmin receives occupational therapy in her community-based program. With an adaptation, Jasmin has learned to remove the cap on her toothpaste without assistance. She can also independently manage her clothing in the bathroom.
Recognizing special education is a journey with no true finish lines, just continuous opportunities to grow in a limitless future, the Anne Arundel County Public School System and Department of Special Education has embraced the concept of responsibility, independence and contribution in its delivery of specialized instruction for students with disabilities. The commitment to children and passion in making a difference, collaboratively, is evident in all aspects of our educational programs. In fact, it is due to the integration of services, outreach to family and community and a strong belief that all students can learn, that our students have acquired the academic, vocational and social/emotional skills needed to transition to adulthood with conviction, self-confidence and competence.
The establishment of a dynamic and responsive learning community of general and special education for students with disabilities that:
Mo is using a Perkins Braille Writer and BrailleNote Apex to complete a quarterly math assessment.
Mo uses an assistive technology device to access the curriculum. Some of his devices are designed specifically to help people with vision loss, such as the BrailleNote Apex, a computer screen reader, a braille embosser/printer and a talking calculator.
The Office of Digital Media’s vision statement explains that school libraries should be “the hub of the school and [should be] innovative, vibrant, and flexible spaces, staffed with school librarians who inspire students to become tech savvy and independent life-long readers and learners.” To turn this vision into a reality, Anne Arundel County Public Schools and the Office of Digital Media Services depend on their vibrant team of 126 creative, dedicated, and passionate Media Specialists.
