SEA - Supported Education Association

Steve Castle, Director of Special Education Services-D97
As the new Director of Special Services for District 97 Steve Castle has
demonstrated a willingness to reach out to parents and acknowledge the need to improve. Without loosing sight of the District’s strengths, Mr. Castle has had the courage to ask teachers and staff to take steps to assure that educational services are indeed resulting in positive educational outcomes for our children.

Rich Deptuch, Director of Curriculum & Instruction -D200
Rich Deptuch has been instrumental in helping the model ABA demonstration get off the ground at OPRF. He has resolved several difficult issues for us. He
has been supportive, flexible, and open to new ideas. He has been easy to work with. Rich has always responded quickly to our concerns. We know his position as Director of Curriculum and Instruction is one with enormous responsibilities but he has gone out of his way in the last couple months to assist us on the model demonstration.

Eric Deubel and Kris Wade-Matthews, peer tutors-D200
Eric and Kris are seniors at OPRF. Both young men have been peer tutors to our son since Julian JHS days. Over the past 5 years Eric and Kris have enriched our son’s learning experience through their own style of delivery and their resourceful ability to “think on their feet.” The enriching part of this story is that Eric and Kris know our son as a friend – someone who needs help with things, but none-the-less, a friend.

Leneva Milton and Dorothy Diggs, Bus Drivers- D97
These two ladies are the bus-driver and aide on my son's bus ride every day to and from school. They work for Lakeview Buslines, hired by D97 for servicing Oak Park Special Education students. They are the most conscientious and polite ladies, and are so friendly all the time. My son sometimes doesn't want to go to school, but every morning, when they show up with smiles on their faces, he rebounds and jumps on that bus with a smile right back to them. These two ladies deserve SEAStars for making my life a little easier and my son's a whole lot safer.