tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post9199727319155160899..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Seattle Special Education PTSA Board Weighs In Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83321281776205640512015-09-17T18:49:44.624-07:002015-09-17T18:49:44.624-07:00The previous CBA had SpEd PRek at 12:1:2 with typi...The previous CBA had SpEd PRek at 12:1:2 with typical peers "optional" and on a "voluntary" basis (meaning conscientious teacher would include them at no additional pay!). Yes, out of the goodness of their hearts, SPS would allow our preschoolers to be taught alongside their nondisabled peers - as long as it didn't cost them anything and the teachers sucked it up. This led to a grievance and a civil rights complaint.<br /><br />So, yeah, guess they figured out that last year's ratios weren't really working.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35320212765189158812015-09-16T13:47:39.476-07:002015-09-16T13:47:39.476-07:00Have not seen the contract, but have seen the summ...Have not seen the contract, but have seen the summary. ESA caseload ratios is a good thing, but not so much SPED. <br /><br />It says special ed preschool ratio lowered 10:1:2. (Good) Social/emotional classrooms lowered 7:1:2.(Good) SPED taskforce will review special ed costs. Savings will be directed to reduce employee workloads. (Believe it when I see it) Special Ed Team to decide on IA deployment when students are grouped across classrooms in a building. IA maintains primary classroom assignment. (Not sure this is so good, but I don't know)<br /><br />Pretty vague, not sure in the end what some of this will mean. But overall, look likes it sucks to me. So frustrating! We're just going to waste more money on lawsuits.<br />Gen Ed TeachAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-30251199580777119972015-09-16T07:25:42.846-07:002015-09-16T07:25:42.846-07:00I do want to say even though the numbers for eleme...I do want to say even though the numbers for elementary in that one instance may be okay, overall it is hard to watch them not fund sped services at the level it should be served. Personally, I hope OSPI goes after them. How SPS can in good conscience fight to increase caps is beyond me.<br />Gen Ed TeachAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20295985731860554272015-09-16T07:18:14.780-07:002015-09-16T07:18:14.780-07:00Just saying,
I am not a sped teacher, but at my el...Just saying,<br />I am not a sped teacher, but at my elementary school the sped teachers think the negotiated numbers are better for their population. Would they like a lower ratio? Of course. But they are okay with adding one more kid and getting another IA. They felt the flexibility of an added IA washed out having more kids total.<br />Gen Ed TeachAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-61149282515300956072015-09-16T07:13:54.870-07:002015-09-16T07:13:54.870-07:00Just saying, where is your info coming from?
Won...Just saying, where is your info coming from? <br /><br />WonderingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-60230291632566028532015-09-15T22:31:08.057-07:002015-09-15T22:31:08.057-07:00Sped parent. I suggest that you look closely at ab...Sped parent. I suggest that you look closely at abd compare the language between previous CBA and current TA in regards to preschool. High school were not the only students whose services may be (negatively) impacted by a ratio change. While at first look preschoolers seem to be have a higher adult:student support. There previou cap was at 12 IEPS. It is now at 10 (with overages up to 4 PER session). Putting preschool teachers (and their IAs) with the highest caseloads in the district.<br /><br />--just sayingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-64447336992315013212015-09-15T18:39:18.916-07:002015-09-15T18:39:18.916-07:00Just in the nick of time! NOT.
Doh!Just in the nick of time! NOT.<br /><br />Doh!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38115515059325966962015-09-15T16:41:13.647-07:002015-09-15T16:41:13.647-07:00In another amazing coincidence of timing, SPS just...In another amazing coincidence of timing, SPS just sent me an email offering free emergency day care for kids with special needs. monkeypuzzledhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13608058123538040521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51933901953765539832015-09-15T14:39:32.922-07:002015-09-15T14:39:32.922-07:00First, there is no "GenEd PTSA". Second...First, there is no "GenEd PTSA". Second, PTSA's may take positions on issues that impact our members and children. They may not advocate for work stoppages. We will absolutely let our feelings be known when it comes to proposed changes that will severely impact our kids.<br /><br />Yeech, I'm joining you Monkeypuzzeldmirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-74060940271177671252015-09-15T14:34:16.125-07:002015-09-15T14:34:16.125-07:00SEAAC is now a creature of SPS, appointed by Nylan...SEAAC is now a creature of SPS, appointed by Nyland and controlled by Jessee. SpEd PTSA is not. Don't get me wrong, there are some dedicated hardworking volunteers on SEAAC.<br /><br />I was actually quite happy that SPS agreed to include the PTSA flyer to families with their Back to School notice, at least with the email version. That is the only time we can actually reach 7K students and their families (who have email).mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-52515495608255626992015-09-15T14:32:24.145-07:002015-09-15T14:32:24.145-07:00<throws up hands, runs away)<throws up hands, runs away)monkeypuzzledhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13608058123538040521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-53946919175427552922015-09-15T14:27:18.355-07:002015-09-15T14:27:18.355-07:00I said nothing about the SPED PTSA shouting Mirmac...I said nothing about the SPED PTSA shouting Mirmac. Do not put words in my mouth. Nor is it contrarian to point out that none of us will get everything we hope for out of a strike. <br /><br />But now that you are going there, I do think it is interesting that the sped PTSA tried to insert itself into the bargaining process. The GenEd PTSA studiously did not do that in fact it did the opposite. Class size and support is an important issue to many parents not just sped parents.<br /><br /><br /><br />GenEd parentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-80301682633733512832015-09-15T13:58:19.056-07:002015-09-15T13:58:19.056-07:00Yes, FloorPie, an emotional day for special needs ...Yes, FloorPie, an emotional day for special needs families who have the full burden of promoting our kids' rights to be included in general education classrooms. <br /><br />We can only hope SEA and SPS haven't dialed the clock back even further on disability rights.<br /><br />Admirer Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48540176296509357672015-09-15T13:41:39.913-07:002015-09-15T13:41:39.913-07:00GenEd Parent, the Special Education PTSA was not s...GenEd Parent, the Special Education PTSA was not shouting. I believe you were the contrarian at the start of this thread.<br /><br />There as some among us who believe the SEA proposed ratio of 12:1:3 is doable. I think I'll cross my fingers and hope that is the maximum ACCESS ratio we end up with.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-40846073493242264822015-09-15T13:20:46.102-07:002015-09-15T13:20:46.102-07:00Doesnt Seattle have a problem finding certificated...Doesnt Seattle have a problem finding certificated teachers for SPED?<br />49 states report a shortage of SPED teachers & related service personnel.<br />SPED teachers also leave the teaching profession at a rate nearly double that of general ed teachers.<br />Shouldnt we be working to make it easier to find permanent staff not harder?Jet City momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14804841958585043967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-47497227752361927222015-09-15T13:19:44.917-07:002015-09-15T13:19:44.917-07:00Thanks, reader, but it's honestly just too pai...Thanks, reader, but it's honestly just too painful to engage in the discourse right now. Like, physically, emotionally painful. I'm so done. Going to just enjoy the day with my kids and pretend none of this is happening. I'll write about it someday, but not today.Floor Piehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06533240227865369012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-7977952235684808172015-09-15T13:17:46.267-07:002015-09-15T13:17:46.267-07:00Monkey puzzled,
Thanks for posting the link from...Monkey puzzled, <br /><br />Thanks for posting the link from that tweet. Very weird indeed given that they are pulling the rug out from under our students. Tone deaf. Uncaring. Disconnected. That is the state of things in the Special Education Department. Hopefully the Special Education PTSA won't agree to be part of the window dressing. <br /><br />Another reader Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-51300511150230279782015-09-15T13:14:07.572-07:002015-09-15T13:14:07.572-07:00It's hard to get to first base with readers li...<i> It's hard to get to first base with readers like GenEd parent. They know what they know, complacent people who never had to face with families of kids with disabilities face in this district.</i><br /><br />Reader, if this is your idea of advocating for your child then I have a very good idea of why you feel you don't get anywhere with the district or probably anywhere in life. SPS is a difficult place to begin with and someone with your demeaning and offensive attitude will no doubt get even less far than the average parent with as you must believe "average" problems. Please do not take it upon yourself to advocate for sped students. You are not helping them.<br /><br />To sped parent and monkey puzzled thank you for additional information.<br /><br />GenEd parentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-48238628126208586322015-09-15T13:06:05.022-07:002015-09-15T13:06:05.022-07:00"The SPS Special Education team is heading in..."The SPS Special Education team is heading in an exciting direction this school year! Check it out... The SPS Special Education team is heading in an exciting direction this school year! Check it out... "--with a link to this doc:<br />http://www.seattleschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_543/File/District/Departments/Special%20Education/Program%20Information%20For%202015-16/Welcome%20letter%20for%20the%202015%2016%20school%20year.pdf<br /><br />The timing, it is interesting.monkeypuzzledhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13608058123538040521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-73431195217804389592015-09-15T13:02:39.024-07:002015-09-15T13:02:39.024-07:00What was the weird cheery tweet, monkey puzzled?
...What was the weird cheery tweet, monkey puzzled? <br /><br />Anything from Jesse is already weird. <br /><br />WiredAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-38179797558747200522015-09-15T13:01:00.977-07:002015-09-15T13:01:00.977-07:00Oh, Floor Pie - put your comment back please. It&#...Oh, Floor Pie - put your comment back please. It's hard to get to first base with readers like GenEd parent. They know what they know, complacent people who never had to face with families of kids with disabilities face in this district.<br /><br />reader Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-33209843915732824652015-09-15T13:00:58.116-07:002015-09-15T13:00:58.116-07:00Dealing with a kid in SPS who has special needs br...Dealing with a kid in SPS who has special needs brings out the mama bear in parents, for good or for ill. There's a lot of history behind those rants, in terms of what we've gone through at the hands of the district, and you know what, the stakes are higher for my sped kid than my typically developing kid. They just are. So bear with the rants, if you can. <br /><br />I'm hearing a lot of nervousness from other SPED parents on social media about ratios/caseloads being the main issue SEA folded on. I hope it's not true. The silence from (and SPS's weird, cheery tweet about SPED) make me fear that it is.monkeypuzzledhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13608058123538040521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-37436562237079257102015-09-15T12:59:39.246-07:002015-09-15T12:59:39.246-07:00Gen Ed Parent,
As far as I know Special ed is the...Gen Ed Parent,<br /><br />As far as I know Special ed is the only group of students with any increase in teacher student ratio on the table in this negotiation, and the only group with that ratio doubling for high school. Also the students who will have less teacher support, if the last proposal is the one accepted, are in gen ed & will impact gen ed classrooms. If the district proposal included doubling class sizes for other students I think we would have heard about it. Though the proposals have been hard to find. It seems many folks did not hear about the special ed ratios in this contract, though the special ed community did march on JSCEE, spoke to the press & sent out all kinds of pleas about it. <br /><br />-sped parentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-14347013936733336142015-09-15T12:51:18.008-07:002015-09-15T12:51:18.008-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Floor Piehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06533240227865369012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-41442918859451176362015-09-15T12:42:08.384-07:002015-09-15T12:42:08.384-07:00Thank you monkeypuzzled. Appreciate the time to sp...Thank you monkeypuzzled. Appreciate the time to spell out the concerns. Guessing the district did the same bargaining tactic used by all sides- to start high and come down somewhere between what other side wants and its initial offering. Again, it doesn't mean that sped kids are being dissed by the SEA if the ratios don't turn out just as the sped community hopes. Also I saw that the lead SEA negotiator is herself a sped teacher. I hope and believe it means she did her best to get the best possible ratios for the sped community and that the same happened for all of our kids, for instance the gen eds, the english language learners.<br /><br />I weighed in as a parent only because as a blog reader I find so many of these threads filled with ranting sped parents who may or may not be over the top in their perspectives. Who knows, because they are too upset to speak in words that would get nonsped parents to take up their cause. No one wants to have a conversation with a shouter especially when you can't understand them in the first place. So thank you monkeypuzzled for your calm explanation. I hope the final contract does well by sped. My initial point holds that in some areas I expect to be disappointed and no doubt sped will be disappointed in some places. That is what a negotiation is, and when it comes to negotiating with the people downtown I bet we can all agree that most days entail frustration with prying resources away from the headquarters and out to our buildings. It's not a sped-specific problem is what I'm trying to say.<br /><br />GenEd parentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com