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To start off the Edworks DC page, give us an update on yourself. Share with everyone where you are, what you're doing, whats in your future, etc. It can be anything from a phrase to a page. I'll start things off.

Jamie-I left DC Prep in the fall to work at a brand new school, Building for the Future Academy (BFTFA). The school is in southeast, and it's a full time special education placement school for students in DC. We have between 30-40 students on the roster and a teaching staff of 4 full time special education teachers, and me, a part time teacher/program developer. I work specifically with the National External Diploma Program (EDP). EDP consists of a group for 10 students who have earned benchmark scores on the CASAS exam in reading and math. Students attend class three days a week and work in an internship two days a week. While in class they work on basic skills in math, reading, writing, financial literacy, and life skills. The remainder of their time they work on a portfolio of modules from the National External Diploma Program. The exciting thing about our program is that in every other state participants must be at least 24 years old, so they can demonstrate work experience. Our program accepts students as young as 17 because they participate in an internship, which allows students to gain real world work experience. Once students complete the portfolio they can work with a program called Living Wages that gives them a 5 week assessment that requires students to demonstrate mastery of the skills they worked on in their portfolio. Upon successful completion of this five week class, students have earned a high school diploma. Students from our program will graduate with a diploma through the Ballou STAY program and have the choice of walking with the graduating class from their home school, and/or walking in a graduation at BFTFA. I really like the work, the students, and the staff, my only concern is that the position has not developed into a full time role for me as we don't have enough students enrolled to make it full time. I'm hoping that it will develop into something more full time so I can continue to grow the program.