Laura Pejsa was formerly a school counselor for Minneapolis Public Schools. In hopes of centering her life in St. Paul, she joined the SPA community as the new Upper School learning specialist this fall.

A learning specialist works with students who have a learning difference. Learning differences can be a wide range of reasons why a student may need an alternative approach to learning.

“It can be learning disabilities in writing, reading, or math. It could be mental health or a student with ADHD,” Pejsa said.

Pejsa explained that if school may be challenging for a student or if they need material presented to them differently, she will “make adjustments in order to make school accessible for the [student].”

When making a learning plan, Pejsa meets with students and their families to collaborate on an official document highlighting a student’s strengths and where they need extra support. The document also includes accommodations, which is a list of things that can be done by regular faculty in the classroom to boost support for those students.

“An example [of an accommodation] is extended time, using audiobooks, or having assignments broken down,” Pejsa said.

Pejsa recognizes that group collaboration can be helpful for students. With this in mind, she hosts a small group of students weekly: “We work on planning out their assignments, or you know, getting over perfectionism and getting that assignment in.”

Pejsa’s passion for helping kids and young adults has made her confront the current education system. “I think the education system, at large, has been the same for a really long time… so I think we’re learning that different students have different needs in order to access learning,” she said.

To assess the curriculum, Pejsa works with data collected from learning plans. “We are understanding what our population looks like here,” she said.

Through identifying patterns and trends in data, Pejsa plans to bring her findings to the administration and faculty to help them comprehend her conclusions.

Pejsa reminds students that she is not just a resource for students who are already on learning plans. Located on the 4th floor, Pejsa’s warm office is far from the daily hallway chatter. “My door is always open to everyone,” she said.