Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/65746
contact with many other students who need extra help but do not have an IEP. Members of the Folsom Cordova Itkoff, FCEA president. "I have talked to other CTA chapters, and what happened with us was not the norm when the state conducts an investi- gation. Many others were not taken seriously or were outright ignored. Education Association filed a com- plaint with the state over the IEP vio- lation and won. "We were lucky, " says Michael " » Eliminating the "I" in IEP? Both teachers and parents have said they felt "blindsided" when they were informed about the "new way" their district would provide special educa- tion services. Parents are just concerned about Carol Siddle worries about class size. school districts eliminating the "con- tinuum of services" at many sites, says Jane Floethe-Ford, education director of the nonprofit Parents Helping Par- ents, which provides training for fam- ilies of children with special needs so they can be effectively involved in the IEP process. A continuum of services is impor- tant because one size does not fit all, she says. "That's why it is called an IEP, because the intent is to individu- alize. I understand that we are in a fiscal crisis, but the law still needs to be implemented. cational needs of their child can be allies to make sure special education supports are in place. CTA advises educators to encourage parents to keep good records of all communica- Parents concerned about the edu- " "IT WAS ALL ABOUT saving money," says Linda Plack, vice president of United Educators of San Francisco (UESF). Though teachers thought San Francisco Unified had appropriate inclusion in place, the district consultants said the number of mainstreamed students was too low and changes were made. Professional development for general education teachers consisted of a half day before implementation, says Plack. UESF members No professional development San Francisco surveyed in January said that professional development is desperately needed for teachers and paras working in general education classrooms with kids who have IEPs — especially when it comes to violent and aggressive students. Teachers reported they had difficulty meeting the needs of students with disabilities while instructing the rest of the class. They also lack sufficient hours of paraprofessional support. Carolyn Samoa, a special education paraprofessional at Paul Revere Elementary School, says that schools have cut hours for classroom aides, even though paras are needed more than ever for inclusion classrooms with higher numbers. "Some students only get 30 Carolyn Samoa minutes per day with a para," says Samoa. "It's not nearly enough. It's not fair to the kids." Carol Siddle says that increasing the numbers of students with disabilities has been "problematic" at Commodore Sloat Elementary School. "It has been very chaotic at sites where they have overloaded the classes. Some classes were hit very hard, with 33 regular education students and four students with IEPs. There were six full-inclusion children placed within three kindergarten classrooms, with a seventh child currently qualifying for full inclusion and two others going through the assessment process." UESF is organizing and pushing back, says Plack. "We are demanding sufficient classroom support and professional development so we can do what's best for students." 14 California Educator / May 2012