A teacher signs with her students in an elementary school classroom.

“Being deaf is not easy, but it’s not impossible either,” shared Franklin Elementary School teacher Shay Burrus, who teaches students in our Deaf Education program, a service of Spokane Public Schools Special Education.

In recognition of National Special Education Day today, which commemorates the adoption of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975, we visited Shay’s classroom to understand it’s important for her – a person who grew up deaf and only had hearing teachers – to provide an educational experience that her students need and deserve.


Special Education is committed to providing personalized support and resources to ensure every student thrives academically, socially, and emotionally.