Ronald Reagan was the president when Denise Chappell and Irene Abbott first started working at the Riverside County Office of Education. While much has changed in the world of special education—such as technology and curriculum—the commitment to serving students and their families has remained the same.

Both employees have continued serving students with disabilities for more than 35 years as employees at the Riverside County Office of Education, and were recognized for their commitment at the 2024 Employee Recognition event that also honored employees of the year and retirees.

Meet Denise Chappell

One day in 1987, Denise Chappell opened up the “Help Wanted” section in her hometown Vermont newspaper, The Rutland Herald. Inside was an advertisement placed by the Riverside County Office of Education in California that was recruiting special education teachers to relocate to the other side of the country.

While at college, Denise was told that she would never teach children because of her disability—a severe stutter that hampered communication. Denise had grown up on the east coast and graduated from college there, but struggled to find a career position beyond working in a mental health institution, and in a facility serving those near death.

Denise decided to mail her resume to the Riverside County Office of Education and was contacted immediately for an interview.

Now in 2024, she is being recognized by the Riverside County Office of Education for more than 35 years of dedicated service to the organization and the students and families of Riverside County.

“When I arrived, there was only one building, and I remember my interview took place outside on the 4th floor patio in July, and I was sweating through my first professional suit,” Denise said. “They offered the job on the spot with a $16,000 salary, and my first day was scheduled for 11 days later.”

Denise flew home and held a garage sale with her family to raise gas money for the cross-country drive with her dad in her new 1988 Ford Mustang—without air conditioning and with her never-to-be-used again cross-country skis whacking driver and passenger in the head all the way to the west coast.

First Day as a Teacher

All by herself at 22, living 3,000 miles away from her family in Vermont, Denise Chappell started her teaching career with nothing more than a set of keys to her classroom at Lincoln Elementary School in Palm Desert—the same school where she now serves as the principal. Denise was a mere 4 years older than the oldest student at her school.

“There was no curriculum, no standards, and no supplies,” Denise said. “I remember seeing stacks of cardboard boxes and thinking I needed to find some paint to make those into big, bright block letters.”

Denise described her first classroom with 12 medically fragile/severely disabled students all in wheelchairs with the support of only one classroom aide.

“I remember there was a tub/shower in the corner of the classroom to clean up students after an accident, and there was no lift system like we have today to help move students,” Denise said. “Every teacher did whatever their training had prepared them for.”

Denise recalls the early days of writing IEP’s (individual educational plans) by hand on triplicate paper that took 3-4 hours per student.

Within her first few years of teaching, several students passed away which led her to consider leaving the profession just as she was getting started.

“I remember deciding that if I stayed, I could help while they were on this planet, and that my students would help me learn how to have empathy, and how to help others,” Denise said.

Your Disability Doesn't Define You

Beyond the typical challenges as a new teacher, Denise was also navigating how to manage the communication barriers presented by her stutter. RCOE invested in Denise’s success by providing speech therapy to help her communicate more effectively.

“I used to wish that my disability would go away, because it was clearly a challenge that people would see, but wouldn’t understand,” Denise said. “We need to teach people, when they are at the right age, what their challenge is. Until you can understand it, you can't address it. Once you understand it, you can own it. Then, it isn’t something on your back, it’s something that you walk with beside you. It’s only a part of you, and it doesn’t have to be the part that defines you.” Denise believes that her lifelong challenge helps when talking with children who are struggling, or feeling “less than”. Once defined and understood, the important work of adaptations can begin to help students and their parents succeed together with their educational team.

“I actually embrace my voice as my communication style. It is who I am,” Denise said. “I might not have been the person I am today if I could have spoken at a podium in front of 2,000 people.”

The Future of Special Education?

Today, Denise’s role as principal includes overseeing 11 classrooms spread across multiple schools between Beaumont and Thermal.

Even as the world of special education has changed dramatically since Denise started teaching during the Reagan Administration, she has observed that the high expectations for students and the quality of services provided remains constant.

“That’s why I’ve never gone anywhere else,” Denise said. “I’ve heard from plenty of people over the years who took jobs in districts or in other organizations and soon learned that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence."

As she thinks about how special education will look over the coming years, Denise believes there remains work to do.

“Children are children. They should be permitted to be with other children and be treated like other children and not limited by their challenge or their disability. I would like to think there will be even more inclusion and more expectations." Denise said. “Even though we don’t call it that, there’s still segregation in our schools. I believe the county office will become more influential by working hand in hand, instead of working in separation, with the districts.”

When asked whether she might be still around to celebrate her 40-year anniversary with RCOE, Denise was optimistic.

“That’s my goal. It will be 41 years at that point, and I remember starting with only a 2-year plan,” Denise admitted. “I’m happy. I like my work. It’s not easy, but that’s okay. I tell my sons, and the teachers that I mentor, that if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. The fact that you’re doing it, and it’s not easy. That’s the cherry on top.”

Meet Irene Abbott

Irene Abbott graduated from the Riverside County Office of Education’s Esperanza Teen Mother Program in 1986. Shortly thereafter, her teacher asked her to sub for the program, and she began her professional career while still a teenager. Approximately one year later, she started subbing as an aide in a Special Education classroom for 4th and 5th grade students.

“I was nervous as I had never worked with students with disabilities,” Irene said.

After gaining confidence, she began another assignment as a substitute in a different Special Education classroom working with adult students.

For the next 30 years, Irene continued to serve the adult students in this classroom as a full-time employee for RCOE.

“I grew to enjoy working with these students and watching them excel,” Irene said.

Wedding Bells and Communication Lessons

Irene recalled two students, Brian and Theresa, both living with Down Syndrome, who fell in love in the 90’s while they were students in Lori Cadena’s RCOE classroom. RCOE staff members pitched in to help organize their wedding.

“All the staff came together as a team and we were able to arrange for someone to donate the hall, a limo and secure a church,” Irene said. “It was heartwarming to see the community come together to celebrate this beautiful couple.”

Along the way, Irene has learned tremendous life lessons in communication and compassion from the students she worked with every day.

Irene recalls one student named Hector who struggled with verbal communication. He frequently exhibited outbursts of screaming and yelling. After working with Hector more closely, Irene and the staff learned that certain triggering sounds were causing the outbursts. Once this discovery was made Hector’s outbursts lessened significantly.

The Present and the Future

Over her career at RCOE, Irene has worked with eight different teachers and multiple principals at five different sites serving adult students.

Recently, Irene transferred and is now working as an Itinerant Instructional Aide to ensure that students and staff across Riverside County have the educational books and materials needed to serve students with vision and hearing loss. Her typical day starts with a meeting with her principal, braillists, and other Itinerant Instructional Aides for their daily assignments. Her tasks include arranging for the delivery and set up of equipment, trouble shooting, enlarging books/content, checking equipment in and out, and more.

Irene credits her longevity to the staff with whom she became close while serving students. She appreciates the job security and great benefits.

Looking into the next 35 years of serving students in special education, Irene believes that the rapidly changing technology and equipment options will continue to provide better teaching and learning tools for educators and students.

Irene’s advice for new RCOE employees is, “if you take advantage of what RCOE has to offer with benefits and continued learning opportunities there is a great future here.”