A suggestion to the district

You may have heard that the district is opening "academies" in the high school next year. This is a great move forward for the district, and the children who "make the grade" for this type of program.

My hope is that the district's next step is to create programs that will replace/reduce out of district placements and create ways to strengthen/enhance the programs that are already in the district.

What can be done? Well, I'm a parent, not an administrator, so I'm not even sure what all the options are in this district. I doubt even all the child study teams are aware of everything that is an option in this district! There seems to be no central system of keeping all the schools on the same track (maybe Dr. Lake will be able to plant the seeds of change on that note).

Here are just a few things, off the top of my head, that could make a difference for the kids with special needs in our district:

Another occupational therapist. There is one for the entire district. All sorts of kids get occupational therapy - kids with physical as well as neurological issues. How can there only be one person taking care of all the kids with that need in the entire district? There are 5 speech therapists employed by the district (most of which are assigned to the elementary aged children, and none listed for the high school. There are five secretaries for the special services department (WTF?). But one occupational therapist? Taking nothing away from the woman who holds that position, she's got the chops for the job and works well with the kids, but how can she possibly be giving the amount of therapy to all of those kids that they need?

How about an "academy" for kids with special needs? Take all that money that the district (taxpayers) are paying to ship kids out of district and bus them to those schools, and create an academy for the kids that really need the extra services. While some kids may really need to be in a very specialized situation, for medical, behavioral, etc. issues, there are many who could benefit from being brought back into an appropriate learning environment that is a part of their home school. Especially in the higher grades, where kids seem much more likely to be shipped out to other places.


How about an optional class, in each building, that is based on the educational "extras" that kids with special needs really need reinforced? Things that might be covered in classes, but that these kids need to have more prolonged and reinforced studies of. Test taking skills. Study skills. How to get organized. How to deal with stress. Typing skills. And throw in some really usable life skill areas. How to fill out a job application. How to dress for an interview. How to manage your checkbook. And definitely social skills on a regular basis from 1st grade up. How to talk about many different subjects. How to make and keep friends. How to react if you are embarrassed. How to deal with bullying (being bullied and not BEING a bully). Kids are already grouped in this district according to learning levels (and anyone who says they are not, needs to check out how many classified kids are in one room when there is an in-class support teacher in the room. Oh, and how about the enrichment classes? Can't tell me they aren't grouping these kids.) Just split up the class times to add an extra subject time.

I especially like that idea for the higher grades, as they are already set up for many different subjects. How many kids in the middle school are struggling with the "mini" classes that they are taking in 6th grade, and the languages in 7th and 8th? Let parents have an option of having their kids skip those classes in favor of a support class. Kids could be taken out of those classes for their speech, ot and social skills classes, making it so they don't lose any time in core classes.

Adding these classes to the high school would be just as simple. The kids would take them instead of an elective or in place of a language.

Anyone have any other ideas?