GLRS Professional Excellence Award
2008 - 2009



LaRonda Fleming
6th Grade Language Arts

I attended the public schools of Baldwin County and graduated from Baldwin High School in 1992.  While in high school, as with many students, I was in shambles regarding my career path.  I aspired to work in the rehabilitation field as a physical therapist but attended an institution that did not offer the program, so I resulted to receiving a BS in Therapeutic Recreation from Morris Brown College.  Even with receiving that degree, I wanted to work with children that were considered exceptional because of learning and behavior deficits.  Unfortunately, my aspiration was briefly slighted because after receiving my bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation, I was employed as a recreation director at the Georgia War Veterans Home for seven years with geriatrics, the complete antithesis of my career goal.  Understandably unhappy, I decided that education was a route for me to salvage my minor deviation, and besides Georgia College had a great education program, especially special education.  I received my Masters from Georgia College and State University in special education and later received my Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Management and Administration.  I love what I do, and often say, “I can’t believe I get paid to do a job I love so much!”  Special Education is certainly a path I do not regret traveling and plan to explore for many years to come.  My intentions are not to limit my training to the classroom setting but to share my endeavors with others such as administrators, pre-teachers, fellow special education teachers, and regular education teachers.  My goal is to teach and consult with others how to effectively serve and manage students with disabilities.