SGA seeking special education representative

The Student Government Association (SGA) and Special Education department are working together to add a special education representative to the SGA cabinet by second semester, according to SGA President Molly Martinez. Martinez said she would appoint the student after Special Education Resource Teacher Lisa Davisson chooses a representative.

With the new special education representative, every department at Blair will have representation in the SGA. In 2005, the organization, led by Senate President Sebastian Johnson, passed a resolution to introduce a representative from English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), according to Martinez.

Martinez, who originally suggested the idea, stressed the importance of having representation for every Blair student. "We want to get representatives from all stakeholders at Blair," she said. "Our decisions affect everyone."

The efforts to get a special education representative began at the beginning of December, according to Davisson. The candidate currently in consideration is freshman Eric Edwards, who, according to Davisson, has shown a positive attitude and Blair pride. "He'll be very interested," Davisson said. "He has a tremendous amount of school spirit. He likes to be part of the school community."

Davisson said that even though Edwards is a freshman, his maturity will enable him to represent all four years of special education students. "I try to be as serious as I can about all my grades and classes," Edwards said. "I'm still going to have a goal to get straight A's."

Edwards put emphasis on presenting himself as a responsible representative. "I'm going to show a lot of responsibility," he said. "I'm going to show how serious I am."

The SGA does not normally allow freshmen in the cabinet, but there would be an exception for a special education representative, according to Martinez.

Davisson believes that special education students already participate in the SGA - they are present in every academy, including the magnet program and the Communications Art Program (CAP), and can run for office. "The special education kids are fully included," she said. "They're already well-integrated." But by adding a special education representative, they will be represented directly, she said.

Martinez emphasized that there will be no change in the way the SGA is run, and that the special education representative would have the same responsibilities – such as coordinating projects and representing the special education community in the SGA's decisions – and treatment as the other representatives. "We wouldn't make a big deal that they're from special education," Martinez said.

Davisson is also confident that the special education candidate will be able to handle the SGA, and that other SGA members will not treat the special education student any differently than they would any other representative. "Blair is such a unique school in the fact that we are so globally accepting of diversity and people with different types of needs," she said.