APRIL 11 • 2024 | 13
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O
ver 250 heads of school,
superintendents, deci-
sion makers and lead-
ers convened on March 6 with a
common mission: to exchange
ideas, share resources and nur-
ture aspirations for the advance-
ment of special education in
Michigan. The James Grosfeld
Center for Special Education
and Support Services, a division
of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, host-
ed this impactful symposium,
drawing educational leaders
from across the state. With broad
attendance from more than 70
organizations and schools ded-
icated to the education of chil-
dren, the uplifting event high-
lighted all that can, and must, be
done with determination, focus
and attention to this critical need.
The Grosfeld Center is a
dream come true for every par-
ent of a child who struggles in a
traditional classroom. One hun-
dred and one experienced edu-
cators work with students who
have autism, deafness, emotional
disturbance, hearing impairment,
specific learning disabilities,
speech or language impairment,
developmental delays, auditory
processing disorders, cognitive
impairment, behavioral disor-
ders, selective mutism, Down
Syndrome, ADHD, OCD and
language processing disorders in
a variety of settings — in the least
restrictive environment for each
child whether from the early
intervention classroom in the
preschool to children integrated
as much as possible into general
education classrooms and aca-
demic enrichments. The goal?
That each student realizes his or
her potential for success in work,
school and life.
The Grosfeld Center thor-
oughly addresses issues that can
impact learning, mental health,
and social development and
repeatedly tests and monitors
students’ progress throughout
elementary school. Needless to
say, this innovation and this level
of individualized educational
support for students is vital to
every child in our community. It
may be uncommon, but it’s not
impossible, according to educa-
tors at the Yeshiva.
THE SYMPOSIUM
The symposium had one clear
goal: to spark innovation in spe-
cial education. Throughout the
day, distinguished experts in the
field spoke to the group, enlight-
ening the audience with valuable
insights. The event culminated
with a dynamic panel discussion,
where participants exchanged
ideas and shared their perspec-
tives. In hosting this gathering,
the Yeshiva showcased their pro-
grams in order to inspire others
to embark on similar endeavors
for the benefit of children in their
own school communities.
The symposium was chaired
by Mark Zausmer, manag-
ing shareholder of Zausmer
Law P
.C., who felt compelled
to become involved with the
Grosfeld Center after his wife
Laura was given a tour. “This has
been a labor of love,
” he said as
he welcomed guests to the event.
“The purpose of the sympo-
sium is simply to gather the best
minds in this state in the area of
special education services in an
effort to share best practices, to
encourage each other and to find
ways for each of us to collaborate
and make this area of education
available to every child across
every district. We encourage any-
body in a position of influence
to do more for this vulnerable
population of children whose
greatness lies just over the next
bump in the road.
”
Paul Mersino, president of
Butzel Long and active with
Catholic Foundation of Michigan
Board, was the first to speak.
Mersino met Yeshiva President
Gary Torgow, who set up a
tour of the Grosfeld Center
for the Catholic Foundation
of Michigan. “Here we were,
a group of Catholic parents
raising funds for the Catholic
Foundation of Southeast
Michigan, invited into this Jewish
day school with open arms,
” he
said. “They rolled out the red
carpet, showed us around the
school, and quite frankly, they
blew our socks off. Everything
they do here just screams excel-
lence. The school was thriving.
What was clear walking through
the school was that not only is
this amazing for these students
who need this help and their
families, it’s good for the entire
school. It’s good for the entire
community.
“We walked out of Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah that day inspired,
confident and completely ener-
gized,
” he said. “I thought, ‘as
amazing as what they are doing,
that is something we can do too
in our own way.
’” He set out to
make a difference.
Mersino was compelled to
begin an effort to encourage and
raise awareness and gather funds
to strengthen and support this
mission for children in Catholic
schools throughout Metro
Detroit. “My youngest son, Jacob,
5, was blessed with the gift of
Down syndrome, and Jacob is
one of my favorite people in
the world. I would not change a
thing about him even if I could,
but there is a reality when it
comes to educational options and
opportunities, in particular with
some of our private parochial
schools,
” Mersino said. “Some of
those options just aren’t there for
Jacob that are for his brothers.
It’s not because the schools don’t
want to, but because they’re not
equipped. They don’t know that
it’s a possibility, perhaps.
”
OVERVIEW OF SPECIAL
EDUCATION SERVICES
Lissie Rothstein, director of
the Grosfeld Center for Special
Education and Support Services,
shared how the school has been
working the past decade to bring
their vision to fruition. “Our
aim in showcasing our approach
here today is to inspire others to
continue to foster positive change
and to collaborate to advocate
Symposium chair
Mark Zausmer
emceed the event.