New Book Celebrates Career of Pioneer Special Needs Teacher

A pioneer teacher in the field of special education, Anne I. Remis, has written a memoir of the early days in the late '40's when the field was new. A heartwarming story of someone who overcame great difficulties to dedicate her life to serving others.

Mt. Freedom, NJ (PRWEB) March 26, 2004 -- The Movement for a Better America, Inc., has just published a new book highlighting the career of a pioneer teacher in the field of special education. She is Anne I. Remis of Clinton, NY, and the book is called Miss Teach: A Memoir Handwritten with Love."

For Miss Remis, who will turn 90 in December, the book is the fulfillment of a long-cherished dream -- a history, as seen through one teachers eyes, of that early period starting in the late 1940s when the field of special education for children with disabilities was in its infancy.

The book, which is the first published by MBA, Inc, was selected, according to President Dennis Howard, as a testament to the power of what one person can do to leave the world a better place for todays children."

He added, I cant think of a better example of someone who lived that philosophy than Anne Remis, who had to overcome a 10-year long struggle with tuberculosis before dedicating the rest of her life to the education of special needs children. Her story is a precious piece of education history that deserved to be recorded."

In the foreword, Winifred Fletcher, a lifelong friend whose career paralleled the authors, advises: Read this book and laugh and cry and wonder as I did . . . Anne Remis has given a detailed account of how one teacher resolved the many problems facing such an educator -- at times by sheer ingenuity, and at times by clear-headed application of the principles she had herself learned . . . The result is a fabulous resource for todays young teachers."

Miss Remis was one of the first teachers at the Edith Hartwell Clinic in Leroy, New York, and then moved on to teach and develop similar programs in the Rochester public schools.

At the time, there were few guidelines or equipment to assist special needs teachers, but it never fazed Miss Remis. She just used her ingenuity to innovate what was needed, and the progress she helped initiate can be seen in the advanced materials, equipment and techniques available to special needs teachers today.

All royalties from the book will go for the benefit of children with disabilities through CP Rochester, a non-profit organization serving children with a wide range of disabilities. Her book is available through her website: www.MissTeach.org.