Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/65746
Teachers Association (FUDTA). "It was a cookie-cutter approach." Recommendations included blend- ing special day classes with resource classes, reducing certificated and clas- sified staff, and removing students from special education, if possible. The school board has not yet acted on the recommendations. "It's not right. It's scary. We are were even more thunderstruck at the recommendations. "Basically, they said save money special education programs. They to review the district's and blend your programs," says Clark, a resource specialist and mem- ber of the Fremont Unified District tions and Advocacy pushing back," says Clark. FUDTA has developed a special education liaison team and submitted its own recommendations to the school board and superintendent. "We were blindsided when they did this over the summer, Newsworthy After failing for the eighth straight year to meet service delivery targets for special education, Los Angeles Unified School District has begun interviewing staff to understand why records indicate thousands of students with disabilities are not receiving their prescribed services. The San Francisco Unified School District has violated more than 100 special education regulations in the past year, according to a recent report by the California Department of Education. The violations include failing to properly assess students' disabilities, implement federally mandated services and employ qualified staff to work with special- needs students. Parents say Fresno Unified School District pressured them to waive special education rights. The couple were told if they drop a special education complaint filed against the district, their son's disabilities would assessed and he'd be placed in the appropriate setting. "My advice is to be aware and organize early. Be proactive. That way you will be better prepared when things hit the fan." Districts believe it " says Clark. » Specialized Academic Instruction was "hijacked" By changing the name of a special education program to Specialized Academic Instruction, districts can circumvent requirements regard- ing services, resources and limits on student numbers. Educators say dis- tricts "hijacked" the term to replace programs like resource specialist pro- grams, which are more expensive. SAI is a catch-all to describe a variety of instructional services on a student's IEP. Districts are cutting programs, moving most special education stu- dents to general educa- tion classes and labeling it SAI — as if Specialized Academic Instruction were really a program. The end result: Gen- will save them money to eliminate services and resource programs, says Stacy Begin, a special educa- tion expert with CTA's Instruction and Professional Development (IPD) Department. A former special educa- tion teacher, she warns CTA mem- bers to be extremely wary if their district calls in a consultant to evalu- ate special education services. "Teachers should attend meetings held to reveal the report and ask for a copy of the full report," says Begin. "Often the changes being made and timelines recommended are not in the best interest of students. Some recommendations include reduc- ing designated services like speech, adapted physical education and occupation therapy to a 'consult- only' model regardless of what each students needs to be successful. By law, the power to make these deci- sions continues to remain with the IEP team." What are districts substituting for service and resource programs? Something called SAI. Joni Clark class size or supports like parapro- fessionals to help them succeed. Special education teachers say they can no longer recommend the best options for their students and they are seeing caseloads of more than 75 students and may have 50 students in a classroom. Annette Wiederholt has four to eral education teachers are assigned students with disabilities without receiving the proper training, a manageable six special education students in her general education algebra classes at Rosemead High School. In one class, there is only one instructional aide to assist students. Despite her best efforts, most students with disabilities are flunking algebra. "My pacing guide doesn't fit these students, and it's almost inhu- mane to do it this way, Monte Union Educators Association (EMUEA) member. "The rigor is really too much for these kids." Her high school eliminated ser- " says the El vices and resource programs for students with "mild to moderate" dis- abilities. General education teachers 10 California Educator / May 2012 It's like calling the fox guarding the hen house and asking if the chickens are OK. Philip Ramos