Superintendent advocates 'curb cut' approach and expansion of Unified Champion Schools for special education
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Summary
Dr. Joel Perkins said modernizing special education will start with proven inclusion efforts such as Special Olympics' Unified Champion Schools and expanded alternative graduation routes for students with disabilities, and he proposed convening educators and parents to develop improvements.
Dr. Joel Perkins identified special education modernization and inclusion as early priorities for Alpine School District, recommending programs that broaden access and inclusion across the district.
Perkins used a "curb cut" analogy to explain his approach: when accessibility is created for those with the greatest need, the improvements often benefit a wider population. "When we make school and we help potential be accessible to those with the greatest needs, we're making those same opportunities and more accessible to all of our students," he said.
He pointed to the Unified Champion Schools program, run in partnership with Special Olympics, as a concrete model for cultural and programmatic change. Perkins noted Sky Ridge High School became the first local school recognized as a national Unified Champion School in 2017 and said several other schools have since followed. "I would love to see all of our secondary schools become unified champion schools very quickly," he said, adding that recent conversations with Special Olympics are exploring expansion into elementary grades.
Perkins also raised the alternative high school diploma and alternate routes to graduation for students with disabilities as tools for expanding opportunity and outcomes for students who need different pathways to success. He said the next steps include convening those currently doing the work (teachers, parents and specialists) to develop a shared plan for Aspen Peaks and the broader Alpine School District.
Perkins' remarks framed Unified Champion Schools and alternate diplomas as starting points rather than completed plans; he said more work is required to translate those ideas into district policy and programs.