While many special education schools across the country focus on theory and milestone progress within their school boundaries, Orange County-based Port View Preparatory® takes a sweeping view of student development and advancement. While students are still enrolled, Port View Preparatory®’s leadership team places equal focus on finding gainful employment for its graduates with varying degrees of special needs – and they do so with great success.
“At Port View Preparatory®, we have a laser-sharp focus on getting our graduates jobs upon graduation; not only at our school, but also at other employers like Discovery Cube and various local businesses, said Edward Miguel, principal and founder, Port View Preparatory® School. “I’m proud to say that we’ve been successful in attaining invaluable opportunities for our students and have reached out to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to get additional support for our student employment program.”
As the young, progressive school evolves, its mission is to help provide training and paid positions rather than simply focus on training and wishing its graduates luck upon graduation. By closing the gap between training and employment for its graduates, Port View Preparatory® is pioneering a 360-degree advocacy approach that includes theory, practice, training and employment of its special needs students and graduates.
Port View Preparatory® is a collaborative educational community that caters to the individual needs of students with disabilities incorporating evidenced-based practices to ensure, above all, personal and educational growth as well as career opportunities. Port View hopes to inspire other schools to take a similar approach and also help influence employers to give the special needs population a chance to find meaningful work for a fair wage. Helping create such opportunities for its graduates makes an impactful difference in their lives and allows them to feel useful, productive and contribute to society. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all really want?
