Alumni Spotlight: Q & A with Scott Reardon

Alliant International University, MAE with Credential in Education Specialist Instruction, Mild/Moderate Disabilities

Professional Information
Assistant Director of Special Education at San Mateo Union High School District

Q: How did your Alliant experience prepare you for your current career path?

A: Being on the intern track allowed me to be a teacher of record and make a salary while earning my degree so that was extremely beneficial. I also felt that the courses and the workload were manageable with my full-time teaching job and nothing was superfluous. Everything I was learning applied to my daily activities in the classroom such as learning how to assess kids and how to thread that into their individualized education plan (IEP). I thought Alliant did a great job of being hand in hand. It was like having on the job training and education side by side. We also had to look through the lenses of legal issues surrounding special education and I use that knowledge in my current position all the time.

Q: What led to your decision to pursue this degree at Alliant?

A: I earned my bachelor’s degree in drama at UC Irvine and, honestly, fell into education. Eventually, I decided to pursue further education to support this career path. I was initially only going for the credential piece and when Alliant told me if I take two extra classes, I can get my masters, it seemed an obvious decision to just go for it.

Q: What was your experience like with your teachers? 

A: The professors were always very communicative and very open to receive questions, emails, or a video or phone call. I always felt supported and if I ever had a question, I knew I could get it answered. I didn't feel like I was on my own or swimming upstream. I felt like there was a humanistic quality about it all. And, in the intern track, you’re assigned a mentor that you can check in with and they can help guide you throughout your program.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

A: I work in a high school district with grades 9-12. I am not really hands-on with students in my current role; I’m more involved with scheduling and programming that can help students be successful in their education. A lot of my day-to-day also involves discussing cases with individuals and dealing with legal and compliance issues with the state as well as on the ground issues that might come up. I’m also part of the hiring process for special education teachers alongside our Human Resources.

One thing I really like is that I can be somewhat creative in my position to solve problems and to troubleshoot things. One of my goals is to expand my knowledge and my district's knowledge about all the opportunities available to our students. Graduating high school and going to a four-year college is great, but it might not be a realistic opportunity for everyone. Making sure our students know about the vocational programs available within our district or being able to go to a community college for free for two years and then decide where they want to go next gives our students options based on their interests and goals. I really like being able to show kids that they can have the future they want as opposed to what's ingrained in them or what society might say is right for them.

Q: Can you share your advice for current students?

A: Be organized and give yourself smaller tasks to do on a daily basis. Especially if you’re on the intern track. It can be extremely daunting to work all day and then come home and take classes online. But I feel like if you have little victories along the way, it’s more manageable. Also, try not to stress out about any classes that, in the moment, don’t feel relevant to you. You will absolutely be able to take something out of every class and bring it to your future professional role. I saw it because I was doing the program in tandem with my job, but when you start working and you see how what you’re learning applies in the classroom, it will all make sense. So just keep it all in your file cabinet in your head and be ready to act.