By Boris Chumak
For the past few weeks, there have been alarming concerns from D.C. teachers about the FY 2013 Initial Budget Allocations for public schools.
With some schools facing severe budget cuts of as much as $1 million, D.C. students will lose crucial educators and support staff including special education coordinators, librarians and media specialists.
Related Service providers including school psychologists, SAM coordinators, social workers, speech and language pathologist and school counselors are invited to join WTU President Nathan A. Saunders on Tuesday, March 27 at 4:30 p.m. at THEARC for a city-wide meeting to discuss major education changes to special education by DCPS.
The D.C. City Council will hold a hearing on Wednesday, March 28 at 11:30 a.m. on the FY 2013 Budget for Public Education where WTU President Nathan Saunders will testify to protect and support the interests of D.C. teachers. Share your concerns and describe the impact of the FY 2013 budget on your school and students in a brief survey.
Local politicians—who vote on school budgets, closing of schools and chartering of public schools—must know the damage it is causing to our city’s most precious asset, our students.
I am extremely concerned about the Central Office’s decision as it relates to eliminating Special Education Coordinators from schools. SECs play a vital role in the needs of our special education children as well as compliance issues. While central says school may purchase SECs under their flexible spending the budget is extremely tight and does not allow for that unless one gets rid of a teaching position. I’m equally appalled at the idea of School Psychologist taking on the added responsibilities of the SECs as well as their own jobs and at two schools. The idea of sliding the School Psychologist salaries off of the central office budget may give the appearance of saving cost. However the financial cost will be greater as the principals miss use them and ignore the obligations of our most needest children; as well as ignore our litigous history in special education.
As a special education coordinator I’m in charge of organizing the special education department, student support team, and student behavior management team (positive behavior implementation system). I have breakfast duty and lunch duty along with teaching a reading group. A counsel students in crisis and refer families to school and outside sources that meet their needs. I conduct home visits when parents are homebound or unable to attend meetings. I mediate between parents, teachers, and lawyers providing quality customer service to all. I observe and assess students and provide immediate feedback and comprehensive reports to improve their academic and behavioral performance. In saying some of the things that I do and knowing that I’m a great asset to the team at my school as other SECs are to their schools, I’m afraid of what the future holds for DCPS. It’s one thing to multitask, but having school psychologists do their jobs as well as the jobs of special education coordinators is a great disservice to our students. There has to better way.
The students in general education and special education will suffer. Teachers and support staff are being excessed to pay for performance bonuses. Now that dv goverrmt has to pay for the bonuses and not private donors, the kids suffer!! I guess rhee’s plan did nit save the kids after all!’