Andrew Crepeau

Special education teacher Andrew Crepeau is a film fanatic who enjoys traveling and spending time with his family, including his two twin boys. He is adventurous, charismatic and passionate about the work that he does at the high school within the special education category.

Did you always know that you wanted to teach special education once you came to this school?

This is my first year. I have been a special ed teacher since graduate school, and I went to the University of Massachusetts, Boston. I participated in their “Teach Next Year” program. It’s a one-year graduate program to get your master’s in education. Initially, the program is set up for a general license, not special ed. One of the requirements was we had to observe a special ed classroom, and I found myself spending more time in that room than in my general ed class. I just liked it more. I liked the small class sizes and the ability to work one-to-one with students. So I decided to get my license to teach special ed as well.

Before you came here you were still teaching special ed. Did you teach at another school?

I did. For ten years I was a teacher at a therapeutic school, within a residential treatment program.

And what did the residential treatment program consist of?

It’s a locked building, locked facility, and it’s for kids that were struggling with some emotional problems. While they’re there and while they’re working on themselves, they still have to go to school. I worked in the school as an English teacher.

How do you think that teaching special ed has affected you as a person or a teacher?

It’s given me a lot more patience because sometimes you have to go more slowly or repeat yourself a few extra times. I’ve actually found that the kind of things that I might do in a special ed classroom can actually benefit any student, not just students that are in special ed.

Why do you think that it’s important for schools to have special ed programs?

I’d say that one of the goals of Brookline High School is reaching all students and teaching all students. And that means every student. Whether they are true scholars who are taking Advanced Placement classes or are in all honors or students that might require a bit more support. I think it’s important for schools as a whole to remember and plan for every student’s capabilities.

What are your main responsibilities while teaching special ed?

My main responsibilities are to make sure that my students are able to access the curriculum. In this case the English curriculum. All my students have an IEP, which stands for Individualized Education Program. This specifically speaks to some challenges they might have, but it also talks about goals that they have over the course of a year. It also shares with the teachers things that can help the student learn best.