Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Long.
Joshua, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to Chicago in 2000 after finishing graduate school for speech-language pathology. I was hired by Chicago Public Schools and placed in two elementary schools in the Austin neighborhood. As the SLP, I worked with students with a combination of medical, language and articulation disorders. Over the next nine years, I proceeded to work throughout inner city schools focusing on students with special needs. In 2010, I decided I wanted to effect change at a higher level and was named principal at Southside Occupational Academy. Together, the staff and I completely changed the educational services offered to students. We have transformed the learning environment from a group of safe classrooms for students to a dynamic learning environment focused on providing students aged 18-21 years with the training they need to become independent within their communities upon graduation.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Naturally, any major change within an organization is going to have its share of hurdles. I am fortunate to have been able to add a lot of amazing staff members to the team. The continued success of our organization comes from the fact that we are all focused on the needs of our students. Together, we work to meet all of our students’ individual needs while also providing training for the real world.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Southside Occupational Academy – what should we know?
Our school is one of a kind. We are the only Chicago Public School devoted entirely to the transition needs of individuals with disabilities. Our students typically attend special education classes within a general education high school and then when their general education peers move on to college or the world of work, our students move to our transition center. We provide a spectrum of supports all with the overarching goal of helping each student become as independent as possible within their individual communities upon graduation. We provide onsite training across a variety of learning labs ranging from a grocery store, café, retail store, pet store, school farm, custodial lab, carpentry lab to a one bedroom apartment. Students are guided through new tasks and supported as they learn new skills. Once students have developed the skills necessary to move on, they are transitioned to our Career and Community Connections (C3) Hub in the South Loop Neighborhood. At the C3 Hub, student are taught to take public transportation as they travel to classrooms across the city. We currently have several programs including Navy Pier, University of Chicago Medical Centre, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Chicago Public Schools and Hyatt McCormick Place.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The success of our school is based on three important qualities, always placing the needs of the students first, having a vision for success and thinking outside of the box. Together, these three concepts continue to allow me to navigate and plan for the future.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7342 S Hoyne Ave.
Chicago, IL 60636Southside Occupational Academy C3 Hub
2710 S Dearborn, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60616 - Website: http://www.southsideacademycps.org/
- Phone: 773-535-9100
- Email: jnlong@cps.edu
- Instagram: southsideoccupationalacademy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southsideocc/#
- Twitter: @soaprincipal
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