About us
Education Alternatives offers alternative learning programs for students who need enhanced behavioral, emotional, and special education services. With over 20 years of experience, EA is the premiere alternative education program serving IEP students in greater northeast Ohio.
Education Alternatives operates eight campuses located throughout the Cleveland and Akron metro areas. Campuses include Akron/Springfield, Bedford, Brook Park, Elyria, Painesville, Ravenna, Cuyahoga Falls, and Willoughby Hills. Our alternative schools pair special education professionals with qualified mental health providers to teach the Ohio Department of Education’s standard curriculum to every child in an accessible way.
THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
Education Alternatives’ Day Treatment Program looks and feels like a traditional school, however, the difference is in the therapeutic philosophy that is present throughout our program.
Every School has a Building Director who leads a team of licensed teachers, therapists and treatment staff.
The low staff to student ratio in each classroom encourages individualized instruction according to each student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
A Note from our founder
I founded Education Alternatives more than twenty years ago, because I saw a need to open a school for students who often struggled and failed in traditional public schools.
When I was a special education teacher, I saw first-hand the difference an experienced and empathic educator can make in a student’s life. Students who were disrupting classrooms, not completing assignments,and often getting suspended would become focused and more successful when they came into my classroom. I knew it was possible for these students to succeed, so I created a place where they could.
When I opened EA, I hired and trained staff members who shared this passion and motivation to educate struggling students. Together, we have created an environment where these children can learn and thrive.
Twenty years later, EA has educated more than 3,000 students in Northeast, Ohio, and we have cheered them on in many of their graduation ceremonies.
I deeply look forward to the next 20 years as our EA team shares in the joys and challenges of educating today’s students.
Sincerely,
Gerald Swartz
Executive Director
History of Education Alternatives
Education Alternatives was founded in 1999 to provide academic and therapeutic services to children experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties. The agency’s first school year began with nine employees and thirteen children.
Today, Education Alternatives employs over 150 teachers and facilitators and provides multi-faceted educational, therapeutic, vocational, and case management services to hundreds of children each year.
Education Alternatives serves more than 400 children each year that are enrolled in our programs by over 80 school districts in Northeast Ohio.
Central office staff
Gerald Swartz
Executive DirectorMara Kampe
Business Operations ManagerJennifer Napier
Director of Educational ProgrammingChristine Swartz, Ph.D, LPCC
Clinical PsychologistRandy Brown
Accounting ClerkLeah Luzier
Director of Business OperationsBrittney Blowe
Director of Human ResourcesRay Bielecki
Maintenance SupervisorChris Haney
Financial ControllerEmily Ellis
Director of Nutritional ServicesAshley Dixson
Human Resources GeneralistKyle Robson
Maintenance SupervisorGoverning board for education alternatives
Dr. Cynthia Leach
Board Member
Dr. Christine Swartz
Board Member
Steven Van Dette
Board Member
Gerald Swartz
Board Member
Dr. David Ball
Treasurer/Secretary
John Wagner
Board MemberTherapeutic philosophy
Education Alternatives’ therapeutic philosophy for working with troubled children is centered in the belief that the healing process needed to give children hope for the future comes from trusting relationships with positive adults in a safe and nurturing environment. The relationships children build with Education Alternatives’ staff members serve as a healing presence and offer the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.
ATTUNE
Attunement is the empathetic relationship that staff members form with children under their care. Staff members demonstrate “unconditional positive regard” toward children and attune to their individual needs, which is the first step toward building a healthy, trusting relationship.
ATTACH
Attachment is the result of the reciprocal relationship that is established between the child and the program staff. A secure attachment results in the child’s ability to regulate emotions and engage in mutually supportive relationships with others.
ACHIEVE
Achievement is the ultimate outcome of Education Alternatives’ programs and is reflected in the child’s ability to learn, manage behavior, and positively relate to others. Once students apply secure attachment behaviors, such as self-care, increased trust in others, and decreased aggression, they are able to increase their ability to learn and succeed.
ATTACHMENT THEORY
Our agency’s therapeutic model focuses on the underlying causes of a child’s emotional disability. This method addresses emotional needs through the development of a responsive, empathetic relationship with others. The therapeutic model is based on Attachment Theory originally developed by John Bowlby in 1944.
Attachment Theory states that everyone has an “attachment style”, which is either secure or insecure and controls one’s ability to regulate emotions and develop healthy relationships. Insecure attachment styles are rooted in a child’s experience of trauma or neglect at an early age, which later results in defiant behaviors and a lack of empathy for others.
At Education Alternatives, staff members attune to the child’s emotional needs through trust and unconditional positive regard, which fosters emotional growth and leads to success.