HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — If you’re a parent of a child with learning differences and/or neurological conditions, you know how difficult it can be to find teachers and curriculum that fit your child’s unique needs.
The University of St. Thomas started a program to serve those students, and now, five years later, university officials say, it’s changing.
It’s called the Pragmatic Studies program and was created for students whose families are described as too advanced for some programs that focus mostly on life skills, but they still require personalized attention that they can’t get in traditional classrooms.
“There’s a thing in my brain where the matter in my brain didn’t form all the way, so that makes the challenges happen,” 22-year-old Anna Schubert explained.
Anna wants to be a preschool teacher. She said she earned an associate’s degree and has been working toward her bachelor’s degree.
“This program was designed specifically for kids who learn differently and taking each kids unique talents and their skills into consideration and building a program around it and having them earn degrees,” said Anna’s mother, Cynthia Schubert. “I don’t know any program around the country that’s the same type of program.”
Anna said she was on a class trip three and a half weeks ago when they got the news about Dr. Tera Torres, who said she had been with the university for 16 years.
Dr. Torres said 165 students were enrolled in the program she created and oversaw.
“My whole department has been eliminated, all have been fired,” Dr. Torres explained. “Everything has been reorganized.”
University of St. Thomas officials say the program is “being strengthened.” According to a statement from the university, students will now move to the School of Education and Human Services and continue to receive the same level of service.
But, for some families and this educator, the sudden change shows a lack of understanding and training.
“Heartbreaking. My heart was like in shock,” Anna described.
“To just be told in the middle of the year, ‘Oh, everything is going to be different,’ even if they want to say it’s going to be the same, you’re taking the heart and soul out of the program,” Cynthia added.
Dr. Torres said she’s working to start another program. Anna plans to follow her.
“I’ve learned a lot of things from this experience, and one of the things I’ve learned is that the gap in higher ed continues and there is still a need for people to have an opportunity,” she said. “I still feel like I’m called to blaze those trails.”
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