Meet Danielle Francingues | Private Tutor and Special Education Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danielle Francingues and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
The main thing that people are unaware of, in regard to Special Education, is that many of these students are capable of so much more than most people believe. There’s a phrase a lot of us use in this industry, presume competence. I hadn’t heard of this phrase when I started teaching, but I learned very quickly that if your expectations are high, most students will rise to meet them. Many people who have autism or are non-verbal are even writing books now!

I taught Special Education for eleven years and administration would walk in and be amazed at what my learners were capable of. Most recently I had a 21-year-old client that was non-verbal, but I could see that he understood when I asked him to do tasks. I started working on RPM (Rapid Prompting Method) with him. RPM is a communication technique used to teach anyone with communication disorders. His parents got him an iPad soon after that, with a communication app and now he can make sentences to request things and express himself.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I was a special education teacher for 11 years. I graduated in 2008 when there weren’t many jobs to go around. I got a call from my cousin saying that I could get a job there and teach special education while the district helped pay for my Master’s degree. I started teaching with ZERO experience while starting the graduate program at McNeese State University. I had no idea what I was doing but I had great training from the Calcasieu Parish School District.

While some nights I was up late taking classes, other times I was in these trainings for new teachers. It wasn’t easy, but I was good at my job and I loved helping the students. I learned pretty quickly that I could see the potential in a lot of my learners. I had a third grader with autism I was able to teach multiplication to in a day! Not due to my skill, he was extremely smart, but no one had ever provided opportunities like that to him before. And honestly, that was one of the experiences that got me to realize, I would probably do this for the long run.

There were challenges for sure. Many of my administrators didn’t know special education law and definitely didn’t want to admit that. So it seemed like a constant battle at times. And when I’d bring it up that something couldn’t be done, they’d usually just go around me to get their agenda completed. So experiences like that helped me to find the fortitude to leave teaching and strike out on my own.

I want the world to know that my brand is helping any child, but specifically special education children without a voice. The school districts have become complacent and if they deem a child “non-verbal’, most of the time they are completely written off. And I know some places get them speaking apps, or speaking systems, but they are able to do more. Just because they cannot communicate in the same way we do, doesn’t mean that they don’t understand and aren’t capable of doing great things. I want to change as many lives of students in special education as I can. And I will do whatever I have to in order to accomplish that.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would obviously start by bringing them to the museums downtown! The Perot and the DMA are both must-sees. Beyond that, I suppose it would depend on what they like to do. There are so many options for restaurants and sports venues, it’s hard to give such a general overview! I have a few places with various options for people like Trinity Groves or Oak Lawn. Since I live in Grapevine, there is usually a visit to Great Wolf Lodge and Legoland if children are involved. I also love taking everyone to Main St. in Grapevine since there is always a festival or something going on.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve had several friends and mentors along the way. I’d like to mention specifically, two of my current best friends Kailea Allen, with whom I run so many things by, she truly is a grounding presence for me and also one of my biggest cheerleaders. When we worked together, I had no idea the friendship would continue on, but I’m so happy to have her. And the other person is Susan Sheehan-Rolong, who has helped me grow as a person, a business owner, and so much more. We met through a mutual friend and despite being in law school, she is there for me whenever I need her. I would never have had the courage in myself to get this far if it were not for these two amazing women.

I’d also love to thank my grandparents, without them I’m not sure how I’d have navigated college and I cannot thank them enough.

Website: www.pathwayteaching.com

Instagram: @openpathways19

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-francingues-m-a-ed-53746671

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pathwaysteaching/

Other: Tiktoc: @openpathways19