Golden Apple finalist ‘speechless’ about news of distinction

When special education teacher James Rowe discovered he was a finalist for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching in Illinois, he first thought it was a phishing email and quickly deleted it.

Rethinking his action, he put it back in his inbox and decided to discuss the email with his family.

Together, they confirmed the email’s legitimacy.

From there, Rowe was “speechless.”

Rowe has taught special education for more than 25 years, working for much of that time at Clare Woods Academy, a nonpublic, nonprofit alternative day school in Wheaton for special needs students between ages 5 and 22.

Rowe teaches high school science, reading, math and English. Sometimes he will teach health or U.S. government if there is a need.

Rowe credits having the students over a couple of years with giving him “a chance to know them and understand them.”

He once designed a civics course for a student at a different school who needed the credit to graduate.

“Everyone in the school will do whatever it takes for a student to be successful,” Rowe said.

One of Rowe’s favorite subjects to teach is science – especially the experiments.

Some contend that science is too hard for special needs students, Rowe said, but he disagrees.

“They get it,” he said.

Rowe teaches physics, biology and earth science on a three-year cycle, using an approach that ensures students grasp foundational concepts, including assessment, planning and implementation.

Rowe also focuses on trauma-informed teaching and social-emotional learning and incorporates those strategies into the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.

At Clare Woods, Rowe said, there is an opportunity while teaching content to provide flexibility in the curriculum to best support the student.

“If there is a learning opportunity, we can run with it,” he said. “If we need to stop things and address the spirit of the child and support them emotionally to help them get through an issue, we can do that without an adverse repercussion.”

His approach helps students understand and manage their emotions, build resilience and gain confidence in overcoming challenges.

Some of the Clare Woods students came from schools where they “could not support or meet the needs of the child,” he said.

This has resulted in students being bused for more than an hour and a half to get to school, Rowe said.

Rowe, who also takes on bus duty, decorates his vehicle with a special stuffed animal to greet students.

For Rowe, special education is a family affair.

Rowe’s wife, Patricia, teaches special education at York Community High School in Elmhurst and his youngest son Graeme works as a teaching assistant at Clare Woods.

Rowe first became interested in teaching as a career when he volunteered as a swimming instructor at Evanston Township High School.

“I came home exhausted,” he said.

Rowe also came home with stories for his parents about the successes of his students.

They encouraged him to be a teacher, but he said at the time that “it was too hard.”

Going to school for an advanced degree in sociology and studying the AIDS epidemic, Rowe had a professor who encouraged him to take a class in education.

He liked that class and several others so much that he switched his degree plan to special education.

“The goal for any teacher is to empower students to take off on their own and meet their potential,” Rowe said.

Some Clare Woods students go on to community college while others transition to a vocational program and some go into group homes, he said.

“There is so many amazing things this school can do. It is such an amazing place,” Rowe said.