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Aromas School special education teacher Logan Shankle’s devotion to his often challenging profession has earned him the respect of his peers and the parents of his students, as well as the accolade of one of Aromas-San Juan Unified School District’s employees of the year.
Teaching a fourth through eighth grade special day class, Shankle began his career at San Juan School, where Principal Ethan Stocks is one of his most enthusiastic advocates.
“Mr. Shankle was a trendsetter at our school,” Stocks said. “He’s a wonderful person, extremely kind, creative and dedicated. He makes strong connections with his students and with the staff members who work to support him.”
Shankle’s first job was at Blockbuster Video while doing undergraduate work. His future wife, Shandra, a fellow special ed teacher, convinced him to explore the field himself, saying, “You’re not helping anybody. Come do what I do.”
“She had a student who had some pretty severe disabilities,” Shankle said. “I watched my wife work with him and his family for two hours of amazing lessons. I thought, ‘Oh, there’s some magic in here.’”
He began a training class at Tucci Learning Solutions, where he worked for 16 years. Yearning to enter the classroom, he obtained his teaching credential and began working at San Juan School in 2018. In 2024 he was transferred to Aromas School as part of the preparation for the rebuilding of the other campus.
Shankle’s small but diverse class consists of students of different ages with a wide range of mild to moderate support needs. Each student has their achievements measured against a personalized instruction plan.
For some students who do not require extensive instructional support, Shankle said the goal might be to enhance their social interactions. For others with greater needs, he said the goal could be to make it through the day, or even part of it.
“Some might need help reading instructions,” Shankle said, “or even hand-over-hand assistance with some of their writing. Others may need motivation to continue participating. And then I have some for whom just grasping a pencil is difficult.”
For some students, the concept of grades and advancing from one level to another is too abstract and distant to serve as a motivational tool. Shankle has implemented a more practical system of positive discipline by rewarding students with mock dollar bills for completing specific tasks that are tailored to their abilities.
Logan Shankle with a positive reinforcement tool. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Reward tokens. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
A reward contract. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
A reward contract. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
A reward contract. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
A reward contract. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Snacks that can be earned as rewards. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Forged reward dollars — and a fake bitcoin. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Classroom schedule. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Logan Shankle and his classroom. Photo by Robert Eliason.
One student may receive up to $3 in the mock currency for eating breakfast, demonstrating social skills or participating in the morning meeting, depending on the level of adult support they require. Another student might earn up to $5 for less complex tasks, like matching similar objects or approximating a teacher’s modeled pen stroke.
“We identify a set of rules,” Shankle said, “and we make a contract. When a student does their best, we reward them and they can trade the dollars for things like candy or a juice box. They are big on temporary tattoos right now.”
Rewards are tailored to specific students and can be redeemed for time on a Chromebook or with a basketball. One student might cash in his dollars for the chance to vacuum, another can trade his in for a short period of quiet time with no interruptions from the teachers.
The system has been so successful that some students have even attempted to counterfeit the dollars, with one offering a cardboard representation of a bitcoin.
“We now reward students for desirable behaviors as part of our school culture,” Stocks said. “But Mr. Shankle has been doing that in his classroom for as long as I’ve known him with great efficiency and great success.”
Parent Charles Johnson said that the reward system helps his 11-year-old son, Morgan, stay focused, allowing him to earn free time on an iPad, and has helped improve his concentration rate, even on household tasks.
Johnson said that Shankle has changed his perception of what Morgan is capable of through the teacher’s attention to his son’s needs and his patient instruction.
“I didn’t see him ever being able to contribute to society,” he said, “or ever do anything. But after working with Mr. Shankle, I can see him living in an apartment, being able to work in a grocery store and having a life.”
Michelle Dougherty, the district’s director of special education, said that Shankle can see what the student needs in the moment and has no problem doing whatever is required for the student’s success.
“He has excellent relationships with the students and parents,” she said. “That helps to build trust between the family and the school. He’s always the first to volunteer to take on new tasks and be all for it.”
Shankle said that his mother, who worked for Guide Dogs for the Blind, was his greatest inspiration.
“She was always service-minded and community-minded,” he said. “Her being able to shape and do the kind of operant conditioning that I’m doing clicked with me and told told me, ‘I think this is something that is real.’ She’s just been my big hero.”
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