Liz Banner, Executive Director of Academics, Spectrum Academy

Could you please introduce yourself with your name and position?

My name is Liz Banner, and I’m the Executive Director of Academics at Spectrum Academy.

In your view, what has been most important to Spectrum Academy’s success?

Honestly, I think it’s our focus on understanding each student individually and their specific needs. We do have small class sizes, dedicated paraprofessionals, and personalized instruction that let us really meet students where they are.

We embed social skills into everything we do and work hard to create a safe and supportive environment. And I think this is what makes a huge difference. We also offer our help and support to our teachers so they aren’t doing this alone. They’re supported by an incredible team. We have special education and instructional coaches for them, our assessment coordinator, MTSS coordinator, and a strong special education support just across the board.

I feel like that level of collaboration really strengthens what we can offer our students every day. We were just recognized as Charter School of the Year, and we are fully accredited. It just confirms that we are approaching this correctly and that it’s working. We’re so excited because we try really hard to support students individually. So it’s fun to see our staff being recognized for that.

Which key services or programs best define what Spectrum Academy does today?

We really try to look at the whole child, not just individual aspects. And so, beyond academics, students get occupational therapy, speech therapy, counseling, behavior support, and mental health services as needed. So if they need those extra supports, the IEP team will come together. Or even if they need those without the IEP team, we give those supports as needed.

Older students have career and technical education, such as woodshop, culinary arts, video production, or coding, to help them. We also have clubs, athletics, and lots of hands-on learning, everything designed to build that confidence, independence, and real-life skills. We want them to develop executive functioning skills, take what they learn at Spectrum Academy, and become contributing members of society.

My son, who went to Spectrum, is why I’m here. He’s 25, has autism, and graduated from Spectrum a few years ago. But it’s what changed my whole journey because we looked for extra support for him in his world. And it propelled me to go back to school, get my special education degree, and do what I’m doing. And I want other parents to feel that help, support, and strength for their child who needs extra support.

How would you describe Spectrum Academy’s strength within the current educational landscape?

I really think it’s our personalized approach. We don’t just accommodate their differences; we embrace them. We celebrate their differences and focus on academics, social skills, and real-world learning. Our staff and our students together thrive in a culture built on respect, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What new opportunities or programs are you most excited about developing?

We’re really excited about expanding our career-readiness and life-skills programs for our high school students. We want to add more hands-on experience and leadership opportunities for them. The goal is simple. We want to prepare our students not just for school, but for life after Spectrum Academy, so that they can feel confident. They can feel they have the skills to succeed in whatever they choose to do. And then, whatever level they are at, they can have the skills to be productive in the future.

How does Spectrum Academy engage with students, families, and community partners to achieve its mission?

Families are true partners here at Spectrum. They’re involved with everything from day one. And, as a parent myself, I really want our families and community to be involved in what’s happening at Spectrum Academy.

Students really benefit from the close support of our teachers, paraprofessionals, and therapists. But we also bring in community partners and extracurricular programs to make learning real and connected to what they’re doing. So it’s all about building a strong, supportive community where everyone can thrive and get involved to help and support these amazing students.

As a final thought, what’s the main message you would like to share with the community and our readers about Spectrum Academy?

I want them to take away that we are proud to be a place where neurodiverse students can truly thrive. Since we opened in 2006, Spectrum Academy has grown to serve over 1,500 students across multiple campuses. And every day, we witness the impact of personalized education, compassionate staff, and a supportive community.

We just want everyone to know that we are doing our very best to serve and support this group of wonderful individuals and really get them the personalized learning and instruction they need to be successful in the future.

Just recognizing and underscoring our commitment to excellence and the lasting difference that we really can make in students’ lives is just big. I’ve seen it in my own child’s life. But not only in his life, but in his siblings’ and our family’s life, how we were able to rally and support him with the help of Spectrum Academy and the wonderful staff and people who are here.