Special Education and "Well-Resourced Schools"

Via the Seattle Special Education Facebook page:

We hope that, especially if you live in the NW region, you can join us on June 10 at Loyal Heights Elementary for this community conversation. 

The SPS description of a "well-resourced school" refers to "inclusive learning." 

 Join us for a community conversation to share ideas and address barriers to creating effective inclusive classrooms. All are welcome to join and participate even though we have six NW schools specifically participating. If we are going to make inclusive classrooms and schools a reality, these kinds of conversations are vital. (We hope to offer more of these kings of conversations in the fall.)

May be an image of 6 people and text that says 'JOIN ALL YOUTH BELONG, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UW HARING CENTER AND THE LOYAL HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY PTA FOR INCLUSION IN OUR SCHOOLS A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION* THURSDAY JUNE 6 FROM 6-7:30PM LOYAL HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY CAFETERIA RSVP: bit.ly ly/3WcyAuH Language interpretation and accommodations available (request by May 23). Childcare for children 5+ also provided (sign up by June 4).'

Comments

SpEd Parent said…
Any thoughts on a 'hidden agenda' here or what the organizers hope to accomplish? Its not like SPS is listening to ANY parents right now. The biggest barrier to inclusive classrooms is a) adequate staffing of IAs and SpEd staff, including PT/OT/Speech, b) adequate staffing, c) adequate prep time and training for Gen Ed teachers, d) adequate staffing.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, closing schools doesn't clearly save much money and will probably drive out more kids whose needs can be met elsewhere and whose parents can afford private school. This is going to raise the percentage of kids needing Special Ed support while shrinking enrollment overall. The school closure plan is NOT helpful for Special Ed students.
Unless they plan to teach parents how to (afford to) take SPS to court when it fails to provide FAPE, in which case, sign me up.
I'm not looking forward to the next few years.
5/23/24, 1:19 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested.  It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio.  (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, gr...
Read more

Education News Roundup

From the ever-amusing Washington Policy Center : Vouchers are Pell Grants for students under 18.  Vouchers are no different than Pell Grants or GI benefits, except the money goes to the families of students younger than age 18.  Except they are. Pell Grants were created to help needy students and that's not really the goal of the voucher program.  The Pell grant website does have a couple of great studies on why low-income students drop out before finishing their higher ed and what makes a difference.
Read more