Учительница из Кентукки получила престижную награду за внедрение инклюзивного образования для детей с аутизмом

Nikki Janiak, a special education teacher at Estes Elementary School, has been named a winner of the 2027 Teacher Achievement Award from the Kentucky Department of Education. Janiak is one of nine teachers selected for the recognition — three each from the elementary, middle and high school levels. She was nominated for the award by Carrie Wedding, Owensboro Public Schools’ special education director. Janiak’s work developing educational approaches for students diagnosed with autism has stood out. “What’s been happening in special education kind of took a very sharp turn with our increase in students with autism, and I had to very quickly learn a whole lot and organize and create a system that kept our students in inclusion as much as possible — kind of designing something that didn’t really exist before,” said Janiak, who noted that one in 31 students is diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. “Instead of the typical putting students in a unit when they’re developmentally delayed in many ways and have communication issues, I kind of decided to do what I call assumed competence, because we don’t know what they don’t know, because they’re delayed. “So many of the students came in knowing every word that you put in front of them, and they’re in kindergarten, or they already knew alphabet sounds. But you would just get little snippets of what they knew. But once you get their nervous system regulated and their sensory needs met, it’s easier for them to participate in what’s going on in the (general education) classroom, so they can keep up with everybody else.” The KDE received 600 teacher nominations this year. Judging was conducted by a panel of veteran educators from across the state. Nominees were interviewed and judged based on their teaching philosophies, teaching experiences and involvement in their respective communities. Judges also considered letters of recommendation from peers, students, families, administrators and others. Janiak said it was a “challenging” and in-depth process. “If you accepted their nomination, there was a whole bunch of essays, a résumé, experience; what volunteer opportunities have you offered to the community?” she said. “Teaching philosophy was one of those questions. How have you contributed? And what’s really unique is this isn’t a special education award; it’s an elementary education award. I think as a state, we’re trying to work and improve inclusion. I feel like to be stepping up in this situation is a little out of my comfort zone, but I felt it was necessary to kind of put special education at the front of people’s minds. “It’s not necessarily students who can’t do the same thing. In most cases they can do the same thing. We just need to change our thinking and what we’re doing.” Janiak, who has been teaching at Estes for 17 years, will be recognized during a ceremony Sept. 9 in Frankfort. During the event, one overall winner from each grade level will be selected, and the three will be finalists for the Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award. All award recipients will receive cash prizes. The overall Kentucky Teacher of the Year will receive $10,000 and will have the opportunity to participate in a six-month sabbatical with KDE. As part of the sabbatical, the winner will be able to travel around the state to connect with other teachers as an ambassador for the teaching profession. Janiak said she would love the opportunity to share her approach and learn from others. “It’s not necessarily something that I would normally do, but the fact that I can take what I have learned, or I can also go see what other models are out there, and bring it back, could have a big impact statewide for students,” she said. “I just see the gravity and the impact that it can have, and it just excites me.”