Having taught students of diverse backgrounds, challenged by poverty, language barriers, non-stable families, a range of learning impairments and major psychiatric impairments, I am perplexed by the "turnaround plan" that has been forced on the New Bedford High School since the appointment of Superintendent Pia Durkin.
Turnaround plans typically focus on: examining whether comprehensive resources are available to improve instructional quality and student achievement as well as assessing student needs; prioritizing appropriate daily scheduling and grouping of students making appropriate teacher assignments; assuring that students have basic health, social and emotional support; meeting the unique needs of the students through necessary interventions; and providing resources that assure lasting improvement to low performance levels of students.
I have witnessed instances where students have major psychiatric impairments and are not properly supported in addressing their unique circumstances. When students have "de-compensated" as a result of not receiving proper psychiatric care and are placed in New Bedford High School without the chronic impairments sufficiently addressed, the end results are instances where the students' needs are finally addressed when critical incidents occur in the school. This observation is not meant as a criticism of the staff at the high school but rather as an observation that the Individual Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, mandates the financial cost of placement in an expensive alternative school should be sufficient reason for giving serious consideration to a more cost-effective alternative of addressing their needs with Behavior Intervention Plans , or BIP, that must be developed and implemented by a clinical coordinator. This is a requirement of the IDEA, and mandates that if a student has behavioral problems that impede his or her ability or the ability of his or her peers to learn, the team of professionals (special education director, team chairperson, special educator and regular educator) shall consider strategies to address these problems. This includes:
1. Conducting an assessment of the aberrant behavior
2. Writing measurable annual goals and benchmarks regarding the specific behavior.
3. Providing appropriate special education services and related services, including supplementary aids and services, which are required to meet the goals and the objectives.
For such students, a proactive behavior intervention plan must be developed and included in the Individual Education Plan. The BIP should be based on a functional behavioral assessment and developed with the intent of positively intervening to ameliorate the problem behavior. When a student is suspended for more than 10 days, a functional assessment of behavior must be conducted and the BIP must be revised or developed if it does not exist.
Hiring sufficient clinical coordinators who could develop behavior intervention plans should be considered as one possible means to address an obvious inadequacy at the high school.
21 comments:
All of these things should be put in place much earlier. If the new Elementary SPED numbers are intentionally being brought down with Pia Durkin's new directives(and sold to us by Heather Larkin--"The Gen Ed teachers can do it all if they are highly effective.")-----
we will continue to send students to the high school with no coping skills and serious emotional needs.
Too many kids are being classified as Sped
Conversely, the ones who could really benefit from special education services more often than not fall through the cracks which have purposely been developed to save NBPS money. That is the sad, disheartening truth.
The above blogger is correct. Kids should NOT be labelled as SPED for undiagnosed behavior issues (read "no discipline at home"), underperforming because they are constantly absent, or because they don't care to do any work. This causes the numbers to increase to where kids who really need services can't get them!
Isn't Heather Larkin the Asst. Superintendent of Student Services and doesn't she have an obligation, by law, to provide students on IEPs students the services they are entitled to? Why does it always come down to money? There are many students throughout the district that require self-contained classes. There is no getting around that.
Do the General Ed teachers hold dual certifications? What if SPED students require all the attention? Is that fair to the rest of the class? Class sizes are already unmanageable. This logic is unreasonable, but not surprising coming from our superintendent and her minions.
Let's just say that Pia, Mitchell, or SC, etc. has a child with special needs. How would they feel if it were their child who was not receiving the correct services? They would advocate on their child's behalf and put up a stink, or place them elsewhere.
I cannot begin to tell you how many SPED laws have been broken or violated. I brought this to the attention of many and it was swept under the rug. The "big one" relates to MCAS accommodations.
If picketers will be present during the job fair, it would be a smart idea to protest what is occurring with our Special Education students, as well.
in reference to the comment "Too many kids..." you have to consider our population. They have very diverse needs and do require necessary services.
So, sacrifice students' needs to save a buck? That's sick. Yet, Pia can create jobs and hire personnel with salaries that tap into the budget reserved for student resources.
All students should have the opportunity to receive educational services to help them succeed in a working environment. The United States of America guaranteed a free education to all children. This currently encompasses all children no matter their race, religion, sexual orientation or educational abilities. What is special education? It is giving a child the best opportunity to become adults who can give back to their community and have a success life and give their families the skills to do the same. There is no such thing as too many children being classified to receive special services. I would prefer to identify all students to what their strengths and weakness are. What a blessing it would be to help all children find direction in their lives no matter their level of learning or where they come from. Why are we here but for each other! PEACE
Too many classified which puts them in a sped category where the bar is lowered. Where's the equity in that?
It angers me to see and experience how delinquent our SPED dept. operates. We never receive IEPs in a timely manner, so we are not aware of students' disabilies, accommodations and modifications, and medical histories. Students with severe disabilities are misplaced and certain classrooms are used as dumping grounds. Worse yet, teachers are not being told about critical medical conditions that place students in precarious situations and the teacher would be liable. Self-contained classes should not exceed 12 students by law, but they do in our district. Some SPED classes have a teacher and 3 paras, others have none despite the need. Where are the strong ethical voices?
Where's the law on self contained?
If you're curious, look it up. That is not my job.
^ if you claim someone is violating law! you should be able to reference that law. You can't, clearly.
"That's not my job" 10 years in NBPS, I've heard that A LOT
An observation has been stated, so move on.
The DESE and school committee have given her the power.
“The power to lead is the power to mislead, and the power to mislead is the power to destroy.”
― Thomas S. Monson
Mr. &&&&&&y is another teacher who watched the ridiculousness of the Pia Durkin regime, and found a job elsewhere and recently resigned. During one of our conversations, he stated it disgusted him to see veteran teachers being treated so poorly. He was dismayed to watch the demoralization of incredible educators who dedicated their lives to the children of New Bedford. He could no longer sit by and be a part of a school system that treated people this way.
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