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Q&A: Jean Veltman
Jean Veltman is the coordinator of a Racine Unified School District program for students with disabilities. She recently spoke with The Journal Times about the RUSD program and development of a college program for high-functioning students with autism.
What is the transition program?
The Racine Unified School District Community-Based Transition Program is for students with a disability (developmental, emotional or physical) from ages 18-21. Our philosophy is to provide a partnership between home and school and provide a smooth transition into employment, post-secondary education, community access, independent living, life skills, socialization, recreation and a special emphasis on self-advocacy. The students learn real-life skills in real-life settings.
An important feature of an 18-21 program is that the students do not go to a high school building; instead, they spend their entire day in community-based settings with the general population. This program relies heavily on collaboration among schools, family, community businesses and appropriate adult services agencies.
How long have you worked with the program?
I began my job as the transition coordinator in the fall of 2000 when the federal government saw an intense need for transition services for special education students and RUSD developed a full-time job for a transition coordinator. I have always believed in the vocational and the functional skills of education, as this is often what keeps a student in school. It also gives them a goal to work for, like a light at the end of the path. If a child has reached a plateau academically, they need to prepare for the next level of their life.
Too many students were sitting home or could not overcome the obstacles that are in the way when their disability makes future goals difficult to reach. The Transition Program leads the students to work in community-based settings, go to post-secondary school or work in supported settings.
How long has it been around?
The program, in a much smaller form, has been in existence since 1976 when they first started talking about taking students with developmental disabilities out into the community.
In 1976, Marianne Maleske and Carl Hipp, working with vocational education, knew that the future of these students was in our community, amongst the general population. At that time special education was in separate schools. The focus was changing to integrate children with disabilities into the general population at their home schools and to have them in the "least restrictive environment."
What are its goals?
The main goal is independence. We try to make the student as independent as possible and to assist them in achieving the goals they have for their future. Programming is individualized through the individual education plan, which is revised at least once a year with the individual, agencies, schools, family and Racine Unified. We need to break the stereotype and limitations that are often put on a person with a disability.
Who are the students it serves?
Any student, age 18 to 21, with a disability, that has a barrier to overcome and wants to be a successful citizen. It can be as easy as getting a student to enroll at a post-secondary school, a student that needs three years of on-the-job training or a student that will need supported employment for a longer time.
I understand there are plans to expand the program. How will it change?
The program had 10 students in 2000 now we are at 35 students. Although many of the goals stay the same through the years, the needs of the students are changing.
I believe that the program will continue to grow as autism becomes more prevalent. Students with autism often have high intellectual functioning yet coming out of high school they cannot function in the community or have appropriate social skills without more experiences.
I am working with Al Noll, the director of development at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, looking at a successful program he started called Transition Partnership School. The Menomonee School District has partnered with UW-Stout in having the students live on campus with a lot of support. Presently there are 133 campuses in the nation that welcome students with any type of disability. This program gives more time and practice to students to develop skills to be successful.
Taken from the model at UW-Stout: This model features opportunities for these youth to receive public school services in an environment with same-aged peers without disabilities who have exited high school, while continuing to benefit from mandated educational services to which they are entitled. Students can attend college courses and participate in social activities on campus with degree-seeking college students, but can also receive individualized instruction by a special educator on self-determination, socialization and life skills. Students generally participate in employment training activities and plan for life in the community after graduation by connecting with state and local adult service system personnel. The needs and desires of students determine the percentage of the day spent on each of these activities.
What are the assets to the program?
The three teachers, Mike Kasprzak, Xu Chen and Carl Hipp, and educational assistants are essential and do an excellent job. They meet the needs of each student individually and have a specialized plan to meet their goals in real-life settings. This program gives the students a chance to job shadow through our School-to-Career Program that is coordinated by Ann Widmar. RUSD has a group of teachers, assistants and students that do a great job overcoming unique physical and attitudes that are barriers to employment.
Another essential part of transition is the Transition Core Team that meets every other month. It is made up of the Racine County School Districts and 18 agencies in Racine County to provide the best services for students in Transition. The team works in a partnership where everyone benefits. For the first time in many years, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation no longer has a wait list for assisting our students in job placement and the Aging and Disability Resource Center is working on their wait list, and hope to see it eliminated in the next year.
In May 2007, a steering committee developed out of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Agencies and schools in Racine and Kenosha are working together to improve transition services. One of the purposes is to collaborate and not duplicate transition services in Southeast Wisconsin.
Upon completion of Transition a student said this: "Although I still have my disability, the limits that were placed on me have been eliminated."
For information about the program, contact Veltman at (262) 619-4617.
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