The goal of the Learning Assistance Center (LAC) is to provide Malden High School’s Special Education students with the necessary tools and opportunities to be successful in all aspects of school.
Mitchell Abbatessa is a special education teacher and Cedric Francis is a paraprofessional teacher who help students complete all of their work to pass their classes. The class is helpful for students in communicating with their teachers, which they are encouraged to do so by Abbatessa and Francis.
“The LAC is for making sure students try to complete as much school work done as they can so they can pass all their classes to get out of high school and there has been far more successes than failures,” Abbatessa explained. So far, Abbatessa and Francis’s LAC has been spectacular given how successful it has been.
Mitchell Abbatessa stands at the front of his room to take attendance. SALAH BOUAM
Francis and Abbatessa work with the students to keep track of whether the students are failing or passing the class. They also ensure that students do not have missing assignments, projects, or tests.
Francis’s point-of-view about the LAC is that sometimes there are a bunch of students who cannot attend a direct study to get their academics done—and that is a major reason as to why the LAC is an important class to have: students can feel more comfortable completing academic work.
“The day-to-day focus involves the seamless collaboration between the classroom either post or pre-instruction to assure that students remain current in course content, like missing assignments, projects, or any course-related materials,” stated Francis.
Abbatessa shared that he and Francis have been here since 2011. “The school created the program a couple of years before we came together to do this. The administration unleashed us on the students in this classroom in 2011, and we have been going strong in the Learning Assistance Center ever since.”
“The class is very useful, not only for finishing assignments, but for studying for tests as well,” junior Kenny Diaz Osario expressed. Diaz Osario is passionate about the Learning Assistance Center since it is a class where he completes his work and studies.
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