Sally Paine considers very few things impossible and hesitates to use the word “never.”
She spends her time teaching, and learning from, children and adults with developmental disabilities at The Sunshine School in Searcy.
Paine has worked at The Sunshine School since 1979, and her current position is head teacher.
“In that position, I am in charge of several ongoing activities for students and staff, and act as director in her absence,” Paine said.
Paine said she learns life lessons about courage and determination from the students every day.
“The Sunshine School stands out for many reasons, and we make a big impact,” Paine said. “We work with individuals with intellectual disabilities who range in age from preschool to adult. Every step a student makes benefits not only them, but also their family and, in a larger sense, the community.”
Paine said the small setting of the school creates the perfect place for some students. The school has 70 students and follows the regular public-school schedule, she said. The Sunshine School is a private nonprofit and has contract services with public schools.
“A lot of youngsters get a good head start with us, then go on to public schools; others stay with us. We also don’t send people home due to age. We keep adults involved, active and continuing to do things, even after age 21,” she said.
Paine said the staff at The Sunshine School never tells people that they’re finished or to go home.
The staff also makes the school unique, she said.
“We have several staff members who have been at The Sunshine School for 15 or more years. The average
‘burnout’ time in special education in general is about five years, I think,” she said. “The fact that so many of us have been there for such a long time is important.”
Paine enjoys traveling and reading in her free time.
She is single but said she has many children at school.
Paine said she read some books as a teenager that pointed her in the direction of special education.
One book was Karen, by Marie Killilea, which tells the story of a girl with cerebral palsy.
“I won’t say the books I read made up my mind about special education, but they definitely had an influence on me,” Paine said.
She is also the director for Area 6 Special Olympics, which covers all of White County and areas of adjoining counties. Competitions in track and field, bocce, bowling and basketball are offered in the area. Participants can also choose to take part in softball, aquatics and powerlifting.
Paine said Special Olympics is important for a variety of reasons.
“Athletes with disabilities can participate, play and compete well,” she said. “They get to show what they can do, not focus on anything they can’t do. I have had parents stand by in tears watching their child compete because they never thought it would be possible.”
Paine said that years ago, a teenage student who was active in a church youth group came in to school grinning.
“We had been practicing bowling at school, and he told us that he had gone bowling with his church group over the weekend and beat everybody,” she said.
“He was able to look at himself and say, ‘This is something I can do,’ and the kids in his youth group realized that bowling was something he could do really well,” she said. “It brought a new level of respect to their relationships. They were already nice to him, but that gave them a new view of him.”
Paine said she admires the students and their abilities.
“Sometimes walking down the hall or holding up a book are difficult tasks for our students. They continue to try, and communication becomes important,” she said. “Every day, we make choices that are difficult for our students to make, like what to wear or when we’re going to wake up.”
Paine said the students give her a fresh angle on life.
“That wonderful look at just the way things are and how often we teachers, adults and parents forget to keep that fresh look at what’s important — that’s what I learn periodically,” Paine said.
The Sunshine School and Area 6 Special Olympics are both White County United Way agencies, and Paine said she helps with the United Way campaign each year.
Paine grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Arkansas to attend college at Harding University in Searcy.
She received her undergraduate degree in special education in 1979 and her master’s degree in administration in 1982.
“I always knew I wanted to teach,” she said.
Paine has also spent time working at Center on the Square, the community theater in Searcy.
“I was in the first show we did at Center on the Square, and I’ve directed and been in a few shows throughout the years,” she said.
The theater provides a creative outlet that Paine said she enjoys.
Paine attends College Church of Christ in Searcy and is a volunteer interpreter for the deaf.
She is also a member of the Searcy Civitan Club, and said the club is a perfect fit for her because Civitan International is involved in working with individuals with special needs.
Paine said she admires Mary-Lou Dunn, director of The Sunshine School, and Paine also admires her parents and many of the teachers she had growing up.
“I admire how Mary-Lou has a good way with words and a lot of wisdom; I really admire the way she handles her job,” Paine said.
Dunn said she has worked with Paine since 1979.
Paine is dedicated, talented, passionate and hardworking, Dunn said.
“She is a talented actress who uses these skills to make her classroom fun and interesting,” she said.
Dunn said she admires the fact that Paine constantly looks for the good in people.
“[She] goes out of her way to see that those around her are comfortable, noticed and cared for,” Dunn said. “She always enjoys a good laugh, even at her own expense, and she also sees the positive in every situation. She definitely has a pair of ‘rose-colored glasses.’”
Dunn said Paine is a person who seldom says no to a need.
“She is involved with signing for people who have hearing problems, teaching a signing class for staff at The Sunshine School, sponsoring a women’s club at Harding University and hosting a home Bible study,” Dunn said.
Paine said she is passionate about the faith that can be worked through her job.
“The fact that I do what I do to help people is just part of who I am as a Christian, and I say that humbly,” Paine said. “I’m passionate about helping those who can’t help themselves.
“Even if they’ll never learn to sit down and read a novel, they can learn to read basic words and signs in their environment, which helps them function better and with more dignity. Anything we do that helps a person down that road is important to them, so it’s important to me and their families. I give back because that’s the way it should be.”
Staff writer Kayla Baugh can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or kbaugh@arkansasonline.com.