Section 504, the American Disabilities Act of 1973, has affected the method by which school districts serve students with disabilities. Wendy Gandy, District Coordinator of the Section 504 and Dyslexia Program for general education at Granbury ISD in Hood County, Texas, has been credited with re-creating the dyslexia initiative for the district over two different programs.
“Section 504 is like an umbrella which basically includes any condition which impacts a major life activity of a person. This includes dyslexia, learning disabilities, asthma, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, high-functioning autism, as well as hearing and vision impairment, for example,” said Gandy. She further explained these students are “typically classified as general education. The more severe, such as lower-functioning autism and more mentally challenged students are categorized as special education. One of the most difficult parts of the job is scheduling services on the campuses. Every campus schedule is different, so trying to find a time for students to miss other instruction can be challenging. Every aspect of learning is important, and the school day is already packed.”
Gandy applied her master’s degree in education and her previous experience as a diagnostician to work the puzzle of creating a successful, user-friendly program. “When I arrived here five years ago, the section 504 program was already in place, we just tweaked it, but we completely revamped the dyslexia program. We implemented the changes in my first year and have continued to expand. In the first year, the specific research-based dyslexia program was chosen, 8 certified teachers were hired and received extensive training and approximately 100 students received dyslexia specific services. It has now grown to 15 teachers and approximately 300 students.” she said.
Gandy oversees the quality assurance of the program, ensuring it runs smoothly, maintains its integrity while ensuring Section 504 laws are upheld, as well as supervising, supporting and training the teachers. In addition, she evaluates and performs diagnostics for students with dyslexia. Asked about her job satisfaction on a scale of one to ten, Gandy said, “Most days, I would give it a nine.”
Mrs. Gandy says she loves the problem-solving aspect of her job and enjoys going to different campuses to train teachers and students. She said most of her fulfillment comes from observing students overcome limitations as she watches her program continue to blossom.
