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Spectrum Center Programs was founded in 1975 by Ernie Wing and Mary Lessa, two young teachers who had a vision for creating a school based upon the principals of behavior analysis and a belief that they could make a difference in the lives of children. Their first “school” was started in the humblest of locations, a “classroom” located in a garage in downtown Oakland.
Wing and Lessa founded Spectrum to demonstrate that children with challenging behaviors could succeed if given the proper learning environment. In 1975 there were few federal or state laws speaking to the rights of children to a free and appropriate education. It would take years for the public education system to catch up to their inspired vision that “all students must be served.” The early years were a struggle, but the school survived because of the commitment and generosity of the staff, parents, and friends, who believed in the importance of what the school was trying to accomplish.
By 1979, Wing and Lessa had departed to pursue careers elsewhere. (Mary Lessa went back to teaching in the public schools. Ernie Wing became a special education advocate, gaining a deserved reputation as one of the most effective child advocates in California.)
Randy Keyworth and Jack States took over as directors of Spectrum–Randy was a behavioral social worker at the agency and Jack was a classroom teacher. Randy’s and Jack’s combined experience would prove instrumental in forging a life-long understanding of the needs of classroom staff and a commitment to support those who teach.
The Spectrum culture
Spectrum Center Programs as we know it today was formed during 1979-80. Although the first order of business was survival, the staff aspired to build a unique organization to match the vitality and enthusiasm of a new generation of educators. Our vision was to create a passion for learning and behaviorism by building a culture of excellence where everyone – students, staff, and families – were committed to the students’ success.
We began by committing ourselves to a mission to serve all students, particularly those with challenging behaviors. We agreed to immediately serve students in need (no “waiting lists”) and to never give up on a student (zero expulsion). We agreed to treat students with dignity and respect, and that the responsibility for learning would rest on our shoulders, not the students’. As an agency, we made a commitment to rely on data-guided Behavior Analysis as the learning technology that would help us solve problem behaviors in a positive manner.
We also recognized the critical importance of our education staff. We became determined to offer a work environment that was reinforcing for staff, embraced continuous learning as a staff development model, and offered maximum support to staff to help them succeed in their jobs. In many ways, the early years of Spectrum resembled the dynamics of an “extended family.”
These expressions of our new culture provided direction for an enthusiastic but inexperienced staff through our next ten years (1979 – 1989). During this time it was often said that working for Spectrum was not a job, but a way of life. There was no obstacle too large or too small to tackle in our ardor to serve our students.
What resulted was an era of expansion. We were determined to meet every need of our students. When there was a lack of group home options for our students, we developed group homes. When our students became too old for school and needed adult programs, we developed an adult program. When our students needed jobs, we started a supported employment program. Within a decade the agency had grown from a small “mom and pop” school to a sophisticated organization operating seven programs that provided services to individuals with developmental disabilities.
Spectrum matures
Many triumphs resulted from our zealous pursuit of serving the many needs of our students. Most important, we made a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of children and adults, as well as their families.
Unfortunately, public policy and funding limitations combined to undermine our vision. Our adult and residential services, which were funded through the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS), were operating at a significant deficit and threatened to bankrupt the organization and force us to close all of our services.
In 1989, we made the tough decision to refocus our resources on schools and education. We found reputable care providers to operate our DDS programs and, by the early 1990s, Spectrum went from offering seven programs to operating two schools and an educational consulting group. Within a year we had experienced significant growth in schools and were able to replace our lost revenues.
We had also learned some important lessons. In order to sustain our high-quality services, we needed ample resources. We needed to adopt best business practices to match our skills as educators. We needed to balance the resources needed with the service needs to maintain our standing as a leader in our field. As a result of these lessons, we developed the canon that remains with us today–our guiding principles:
- Provide quality services to our consumers
- Provide a reinforcing work environment for employees
- Operate a fiscally sound business
In 1990 we took another giant leap forward when, as an organization, we embraced the belief that “quality and customer satisfaction are everyone’s job.” This critical change in our organizational philosophy significantly expanded the scope of our mission to include the needs of parents, care providers, and school districts, as well as the needs of students. Our reputation as a quality program grew significantly as result of this partnership among all of the parties.
Spectrum and ESA
In 2004, Spectrum was acquired by Educational Services of America (ESA), a national leader in providing highly individualized academic and behavioral services for students with a wide variety of disabilities. The merger provided ESA with a solid foundation of resources and personnel dedicated to working with students with severe challenges and, at the same time, it provided Spectrum Center with a mode for continued growth and service to its students.