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NEA Helps Member Act As Resource for Colleagues

By Bruce Mulder, special education teacher, local vice-president, Plymouth, Minnesota

My work with the NEA IDEA Special Education Resource Cadre has had a profound impact on my professional development and on my ability to be an information resource at the local, district, and state level. I'm always amazed that, thanks to the staff at NEA, an every-day classroom teacher has direct access to the highest quality of information available on special education policy and practice. 

NEA staff members have worked tirelessly to make sure we are informed by the top people in various areas of professional practice and federal policy making. Again, it's about access. I can't think of any other way that I (and through me, my state Association and local district) would have access to this level of expertise if it were not for my involvement in the Cadre.

In addition, I have access to the perspectives and expertise of my fellow Cadre members, a diverse group from across the nation that represents a wide range of the professional disciplines involved in special education. The sharing of ideas and information during our training sessions is inspirational. The "connections" that happen intellectually and conceptually during our training are invaluable. 

Being on the Cadre has enabled an ordinary classroom teacher (who doesn't get out much) to develop a global perspective on special education that includes the total spectrum of special education activity from the minute-by-minute teacher-student interactions in daily lessons to large-scale practice and policy at the national level. The Cadre has made it possible for me to continually upgrade my knowledge and skills and to disseminate high-quality information to my fellow professionals in the Midwest.

About the Author
Bruce H. Mulder has been a special education teacher for 18 years and an NEA Cadre member for 4 years. He currently teaches students ages 14-21 in the Intermediate School District 287 in Plymouth, Minnesota (near the Twin Cities metro area). Mulder is vice-president and member rights chair of his local association and also serves on the Education Minnesota Special Ed Committee.