WE ARE 401: Paul Fredericks, EPHS Special Education Teacher

In our latest "WE ARE 401" video we meet Paul Fredericks, special education teacher at Elmwood Park High School. For Mr. Fredericks, who grew up in Elmwood Park, teaching at EPHS is the culmination of a remarkable personal journey that included his own removal from EPHS for behavioral problems as a sophomore during the 1977-78 school year.

Mr. Fredericks completed his high school education at an alternative school, Maple Park Academy. There he began to understand that many of his own difficulties in school were traceable to ADHD and other causes that required him to learn at a different pace and under different conditions than he had been accustomed to. Eventually, after working several post-high school jobs, he decided to go to college. One of his former Maple Park Academy teachers suggested that he study special education, and his career path became clear. With his retirement now scheduled for the end of this school year, Mr. Fredericks reflects on his extraordinary life story and how it has shaped his own approach to helping his students overcome obstacles and achieve their potential.

"WE ARE 401" is a video series highlighting those who have a connection with Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401, past or present, and whose stories help illustrate who we are.