Avery McNeil: An Accomplished Teacher inside and out of the Nation

Israelite PRIDE would like to feature Avery McNeil, a Special Education Teacher in the Marietta City School District in Marietta, Georgia.  Mr. McNeil’s primary responsibilities are to produce, instruct, and facilitate the development of programs and manage the implementation of curriculum that meets and accommodates the needs of students with disabilities. 

In 1990, Mr. McNeil earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Clark Atlanta University. A couple of years later he received a Masters of Arts in International Relations & Diplomacy. In 2008 a Masters of Education and in 2010 became an Education Specialist Ed. S. from Lincoln Memorial University.

Like many of his colleagues, Mr. McNeil was drawn to the teaching profession because he held a strong desire to serve the public.  “Teaching is a very noble profession,” Mr. McNeil stated.  “My area of expertise is special education.  I work with children with disabilities ranging from specific learning disorders, emotional behavior disorders, other health impairments (ADHD), and occasionally children who are autistic."

In addition to teaching, Mr. McNeil explained special education teachers must also work as case managers.  “Not only do we teach students, but we are also assigned a caseload of specific students, some, as low as six, others, as high as eighteen, depending upon the enrollment of the school.  The case managers must then develop Individualized Education Plans or IEPs for each of those students.  What this means is long hours and loads of paperwork, among other things, that the average teacher does not have to bear.”

Though the job of a special education teacher can be very demanding, Mr. McNeil stated, “special education is a critical field, meaning the demand for special education teachers outweigh the supply.  This also means that someone who has a special education degree is more likely to get hired than someone with just a regular-education degree.”  

A career in special education could also lead to administration posts as high as directors and superintendents.   Special education law is another area that some teachers have pursued.  

“That’s right!  There are lawyers who work for school districts and private law firms who began their careers as special education teachers.  Many colleges and universities also hire individuals with experience in special education to serve as Disability Coordinators.  These highly knowledgeable individuals serve as the university’s expert on disability matters."

There are huge disparities between the numbers of black and white children who are serviced under special education.  These inequalities only confirm the findings in the Kerner Report echoed more than half a century prior.  In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson formed an 11-member commission to explain the riots, among other things, that plagued urban cities all across America.  The report concluded that the nation was “moving toward two societies – one black, one white – separate and unequal.”

The Commission’s findings then are as relevant today as it was when first made public.  The gap in education between black and white students is one of the most challenging issues facing public education today.   Moreover, schools educating black students uncharacteristically receive less state and local funding in comparison to their white counterparts.

“Though many of these daunting challenges would discourage the average person from pursuing a career in education, it was precisely these challenges that inspired me to join the profession,” Mr. McNeil expressed. 

Mr. McNeil also advised, “If any of our Israelite children or any of Israelite PRIDE’s readers are thinking about a career in education, typically a four-year college degree in education and passing scores from the state’s licensing agency is all that is required.  It would be a good practice to talk to teachers already in the profession to get a firsthand account of what the job entails.  The pay is usually low and the hours long.  Of course, the more education and experience you have, the more money you are likely to make.    The upside is that you have summers and major holidays off and you are placed in the unique and rewarding position of implementing positive and lasting change in young people’s lives.”

In addition to being an accomplished teacher in school, you can also find Mr. McNeil teaching the Nation and the world on Friday Night Live. This is a weekly, online broadcast that Mr. McNeil co-hosts with Elder Michael Hinds, author of the books "The Spirit of Egypt in America" and "The Word, The Israelites and the Damned."

http://israelitenation.com/bn/programs.html