Mr. Cupp trumpets inclusion
By Emily Thornton
Many students know him as the guy who stands at the entrance to the old gym and checks bags in the morning. Or perhaps they only notice him as one of Grady's many patrolmen, walking the halls and steering students to class. But there is much more to Mr. Paul Cupp than his walkie-talkie.
Mr. Cupp is an Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, or EBD,
teacher. A graduate from the University of Georgia, he originally
wanted to pursue psychology, a career in his undergraduate major.
Afterworking forthe Georgia Department of Human Resources with
severe and profound intellectually disabled adults, he decided
that he wanted to be a teacher. He received a master's degree
in education from Georgia State University.
Mr. Cupp's teaching careerbegan when he came to Grady in 1996.
"I fell in love with Grady. I enjoyed the diversity and found people are very accepting here," he said. "[Grady] allows me to be an individual."
Mr. Cupp also appreciates the method that Grady uses to teach disabled students. Since 1998, Grady has been using a method known as inclusion. Instead of being isolated, as had been the norm at Grady and elsewhere, students in the Program for Exceptional Children have been integrated into the same classrooms as their peers and taughtusing a slightly modified curriculum.
"In the past, [disabled] students would be placed in one room," Mr. Cupp stated.
Students benefit fromthis inclusion both socially and academically.
"If [disabled students] comprehend 40 percent of the material covered in biology," Mr. Cupp said, "that's probably 90 percent more material than I would have covered in a self-contained environment."
Non-PEC students also benefit from inclusion.
"They become more aware and accepting toward people with disabilities," Mr. Cupp said. "They see that [disabled students] really aren't that different."
Although a less-restricting environment for disabled students is required by law, the law is open to interpretation. "Most schools haven't taken it as far as we have," Mr. Cupp said.
Working with disabled students has had a daily influence on Mr. Cupp.
"It really has taught me that you never want to judge a book by its cover," he said. "You never want to underestimate someone's ability."
Source: January 31, 2002 The Southerner