Question 4
What will you do to end inappropriate and undesired segregation of students with disabilities in APS?
Answers are listed in alphabetical order by the candidates’ last names.
Cristina Diaz-Torres
Cristina Diaz-Torres Ending the inappropriate and undesired segregation of students with disabilities needs to be a top priority if we are to meet our strategic goal of having 80% of students with disabilities in a general education setting 80% of the time. As a member of the Board, I will work with central office staff to (1) norm on what inclusion means systemwideand (2) set parameters and guidance for site-based management teams to follow inclusive staffing structures (including common planning time, increasing co-teaching whenever possible, etc). Additionally, I will advocate for revisiting planning factors to align them with our definition of inclusivity. Given the current economic crisis, our budget is likely to suffer in the coming years, but it has never been more important to personalize and tailor learning to the individual student and to ensure that all students receive the education they deserve.
Steven Krieger
Steven KriegerRegardless of their disabilities and needs, the goal of APS must be that students with disabilities receive the supports they need in regular, age-appropriate classes in their neighborhood schools. Currently, the Strategic Plan demandsthat at least 80% of students with disabilities will spend 80% or more of their school day in a general education setting. In order to do that APS first needs to have a working system or program in place to ensure that this target is being met or exceeded. Next, APS needs individualized support and accommodations provided in the classroom, including occupation therapy, speech, and social skills. Of course, APS should continue to support differentiated instruction in all classrooms. But in addition, APS needs to require more co-teaching, particularly in subjects like the arts and world languages, where many students with disabilities would thrive if given more adequate support.
Although APS has developed the new Student Support Coordinators position, designed to enable a more coordinated support process for SWD and those requiring intervention, and has also codified the work of ATSS, Special Education, and Student Support Services, all under the Department of Teaching and Learning, there is still more that needs to be done. While these positions and the unification of all services allow for greater focus on academics and
coordinated support for all students, without effective, high-yield co-teaching practices, APS will continue to fall short of its goal.
Sandy Munnell
Sandy MunnellThe Strategic Plan 2018-24 vision statement: “To be an inclusive community that empowers all students to foster their dreams, explore possibilities, and create their futures”
One of its Core values: “Inclusivity: Strengthen our community by valuing people for who they are, nurturing our diversity, and embracing the contributions of all students, families, and staff. Goal: “80% of students with disabilities will spend 80% or more of their school day in a general education setting.”
These ideals must be embraced from the School Board to the Central Administration to the building level administrators in the schools to all faculty and all staff. I believe many of our schools are just not telling us how they are celebrating their students. All three high schools have an active Best Buddies Club, the international society that pairs students with special needs in one-to-one friendships with high school students. HB Woodlawn has their own brand of this club, Stratford Friends. The special needs population drives how active these clubs are.
That said, some schools are more pro-active at inclusion than others. I believe that the application of a single school wide vision for inclusion will bring this in line with the School Board’s expectations of the 80% goal. Parents should not have to fight for the right placement for their child. This circles back to building capacity, which would mean everyone knows what inclusion looks like and has the ability to provide for special needs students. It also means that we must have in place best practices for co-teaching, which ALL schools should be required to follow. This will be complicated work to achieve as it directly impacts planning factors.
David Priddy
David PriddyUnder our current Strategic Plan, the goal of APS is for 80% of students with disabilities to be in a general education setting 80% of the time. The latest metrics show APS at 64.76% with the state target of 70%. We are struggling to meet not only the state expectation but our Strategic Plan goal as well. We need to hold ourselves accountable to that goal. In order to end inappropriate and unacceptable segregation of students with disabilities, we need a plan for a continuum of services for all students with the goal of greater inclusion. Going back to the answer in question #2, if principals add inclusion to their School Management Plans, we will have a consistent road map for inclusion and a way to measure it.
Terron Sims
Terron SimsTo end inappropriate and undesired segregation, APS must first establish foundational standards that apply to all schools when it comes to instructional application to and for our students with disabilities. Because no set standard exists, a child could be included into classes in one school, but not another, and without a clear APS policy and regulation explanation as to why. That is unacceptable, confusing to parents, and unfair and cruel to our children.
The inclusion of all students is optimal, but in those instances when inclusion is questionable, the principal, parent(s)/guardian, and a SPED SME (subject matter expert) serving as an unbiased mediator ought to meet to determine the best course of action for the student that optimizes their ability to learn and achieve success.
S. Symone Walker
S. Symone WalkerThe first thing I would do is take an inventory of where all of our students with disabilities who are segregated are located. The second thing I would do, hopefully with my school board colleagues, is visit each such school and classroom to observe. As a school board member, I would convince my colleagues that these visits and meetings/observations should be done by the entire board (or as many as possible), so that every board member has a complete understanding of the issues and concerns. Third, I would convene meetings with the administrators, teachers, and parents to discuss, field concerns, and solicit ideas for inclusion. Some parents may not choose inclusion, but they should know that they have the right to, and that it is available to their child. Finally, I would set up a working group of inclusion task force members to quickly and efficiently provide recommendations for the most appropriate and seamless ways to transition students into the general education environment.