What A Director At Special Education Consulting Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Special Education Industry
Anjanette, a Director at Special Education Consulting with 25 years in public education, reveals a crucial lesson learned: the significant disconnect between espoused values ("we say we want a thing") and actual implementation in education, particularly regarding equitable access for students with disabilities; this requires navigating adult resistance to change, necessitating a "clear, positive, future focused attitude" to overcome inevitable frustrations.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Resilience, Leadership, Overcoming Challenges
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Anjanette Pelletier
Director
Special EducationConsulting
UC Berkeley
Cal State Hayward, Masters in Clincial Child School Psychology
Psychology
Coaching, Speaking & Writing, Education
Education
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. The discrepancy between stated goals (e.g., equitable access for students with disabilities) and the reality of implementing change within educational systems is significant. Adults' resistance to change, even when they verbally support it, presents a major challenge.
2. Effective communication and maintaining a positive, future-focused attitude are crucial when working to implement changes in education, especially when dealing with resistance from adults.
3. The ability to navigate frustration and accept that not all initiatives will be immediately successful is essential for those working in education or education consulting.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
I'm an education consultant now, and I've been doing that for three years after retiring from public education. I spent 25 years as a public educator, starting as a school psychologist, then becoming a manager. I supported special education programs across an entire county in Northern California.
One thing relevant to both my public education role and my current consulting work is that while we all state our commitment to certain educational needs in our words, written materials, and mission statements, it's very difficult to truly commit to them. It's much easier to write down what we want than to actually implement it.
This often creates a mismatch between what we say we want and what we do. For students with disabilities, we say we want positive outcomes, student success, and equitable access and inclusion in educational programs. But achieving this requires consistently making student-focused decisions and having student-focused discussions.
However, everyone involved in these conversations are adults with their own needs, learning styles, communication preferences, and interests in what works for them. Change is difficult for people, even adults.
This is something I constantly reflect on. It's what makes my work the hardest: adults will say they want change, but when I explain how to achieve it, they resist. They might say, "Oh, no, thank you," or "Not me, I'm not the one who needs to change."
Dealing with that frustration and maintaining a clear, positive, future-focused attitude and communication style is crucial, especially when messages don't gain traction because people aren't ready. You need to be able to handle that frustration and accept that not everything you do will be brilliant or implemented.
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