APS Board & Duran Proposing to Dissolve Integration Station

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they just build a completely new facility for integration station a few years ago???? And now they want to get rid of the program? Unbelievable.

Calm down. The day care for the teachers kids would still be there.

I’m neither a teacher nor do I have need for daycare, but I am frustrated at spending huge amounts of money on facilities projects then closing the programs.

APS didn't build the facility- TCS did. It's a nonprofit childcare center that was founded by APS employees and has, for the past 25 years, worked with APS to run the integrated program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are proposing to end the Integration Station program, an inclusive special education preschool program that has served Arlington, VA for over 25 years. In its current form, it is cohoused in a private facility run by The Children’s School, a co-op started by APS teachers and staff, to provide inclusive opportunities for APS students receiving special education services.

APS recently paid for a private study by a private firm to look at how to reduce costs and the firm believes that disbanding IS will save APS $1 million. The reality is that a good chunk of those funds would need to be accounted for anyways, since these students are entitled to receiving a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) under federal law (IDEA).

The problems that leadership have yet to address are: (1) do they have enough space to house these students elsewhere? (2) With current CPP programs under-enrolled with community peers, how would they find peers for additional CPP classes to provide the appropriate least restrictive environment (LRE) to these students without violating their IEPs?

Preschool? Federal laws? Those are both not domain of k-12 education in 2025. APS has. $35M shortfall, this is what is cut.

Agreed. K-12 must be the focus.

And the laws you cite don’t apply before the child is actually in K.

Sadly, I agree with cutting it.

Yes those laws absolutely apply to pre K. You're ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Integration Station (IS) and The Children’s School (TCS) community has just received word from Dr. Mann that, due to budget concerns, Dr. Duran and the APS School Board are proposing the possibility of dissolving the IS program. The proposal recommends sending IS students to sites closer to their home schools for the Community Peer Program (CPP) which does not include consideration of our students that require service on the continuum (Ex. Early childhood special Ed or mini MIPA)

Although this sounds like a great idea on paper (in terms of $ amount), the implications are enormous. There are many of you who have children that attended or are attending TCS. We need to rally and speak up!!

The proposal will be presented at the APS School Board meeting on Thursday, March 13th at 7PM. Community support is MUCH needed to voice the need to keep this 25+ year partnership continuing strong in the future!

If this is true, you should be posting it on listservs and Facebook under your real name so it can be verified. I can't treat an anon posting on DCUM as anything other than an unsubstantiated rumor.

[Anonymous]

Will this open up additional spots for childcare at the children’s school?

[Anonymous]

IDEA applies to all students birth-21 who qualify. The IS students are entitled to IEP services, whether it’s provided at TCS or spear across the county. So the laws I cite DO apply, and if APS cannot provide an equivalent LRE, then they are subject to due process and litigation by families.

So APS will not actually be saving a ton of money because they still would need to cover the costs of these services, including staff salaries and benefits. Also, every child receiving special education services brings in federal funding - at least for now. Even if the Department of Education is disbanded, IDEA is still federally mandated under law passed by Congress.

Also, while TCS is a private facility, if you dig into public records, APS helped fund the construction of the new facility in conjunction with TCS. Considering how new the facility is, that would be a HUGE waste of taxpayer dollars.

[Anonymous]

Are the IS kids integrated with TCS all day or for a portion of the day?

[Anonymous]

There’s a lot of really tough cuts proposed. We relied on reserves too much over the past couple years. I’m sympathetic, my own role is likely to be cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a lot of really tough cuts proposed. We relied on reserves too much over the past couple years. I’m sympathetic, my own role is likely to be cut.

I’m a high school teacher. One of the most frustrating increases I’ve seen is the costs of extra security staff. We had one SRO before. It was less expensive, and we had fewer problems.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry your program is on the chopping block. But I’m not understanding why the school-based options will not serve your needs. Unfortunately we are looking at a lot less ideal options for everyone across the board and I’m not sure this is worth further teaching staff cuts or higher class sizes for older kids.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry your program is on the chopping block. But I’m not understanding why the school-based options will not serve your needs. Unfortunately we are looking at a lot less ideal options for everyone across the board and I’m not sure this is worth further teaching staff cuts or higher class sizes for older kids.

The school-based options pose a few challenges:
(1) APS leadership has yet to identify which sites the classes would relocate to. Which means we have no idea, nor does Dr. Mann, if there is actually enough capacity across APS schools to accommodate the number of students currently attending the program.
(2) If APS manages to relocate all the classes, the CPP program is already under-enrolled for peers needed. APS cannot guarantee that it will have community peers for all these classes. If students who previously attended or would have attended IS no longer are with their typically developing peers, then they would be in a self-contained environment. The move would be regressive since these students would no longer have access to or benefit from exposure to these peers.
(3) The Mini-MIPA (the preschool autism class) and self-contained 3-5 class would be the greatest programs to suffer. These are students who are not quite ready for a full-day of integration in a general education environment, but have access to these opportunities during their day in the IS program by pushing into the general education TCS classrooms.

Moreover, the budget study that APS paid bakertilly claims it would save $1 million. However, that number isn’t accurate when accounting for overhead that would still need to be covered regardless - such as staff salaries, benefits, and transportation. APS and the study also do not specify how much federal funds are provided per student to attend. At least currently, under IDEA, schools should receive direct funding per student with special education services. Even if the Department of Education is disbanded, this law would still be in effect.

[Anonymous]

Are the IS kids integrated with TCS all day or for a portion of the day?

Toddlers attend 5 hours and 3-5 year old preschoolers attend 7:50-2:40. Same hours as any other APS early childhood program. For IS, it is a fully integrated program for all rooms except the Mini-MIPA (preschool autism class) and self-contained 3-5 class; those classes would suffer from the cut especially since they push in and out of the general education classes throughout their day (something not really implemented anywhere else in APS to the same extent).

[Anonymous]

OP - please add any organized advocacy efforts here so those who are supportive of IS can help. I would also cross post in the Kids with Special Needs forum, where you will likely find a more supportive audience.

This was sent out by the TCS board this afternoon:

February 27th is the next APS School Board Meeting at 7:00pm.

The Request to Speak Form for the School Board Meeting on February 27 will be posted today at 4 pm and available from February 21-26.

If you would like to speak, you will need to sign up beforehand or get there early to sign up on the sign up sheet that will be put outside the door between 6:15 pm and 6:45 pm before the meeting. You also have the option to call in

Speakers will have 2 minutes to speak and then can submit their remarks to the School Board.

We would like to flood the Board Room with a sea of support so please come if you can! Public Comment is at the beginning after opening and initial announcements so likely to start around 7:30/8ish. Please wear RED!

And thank you! That is helpful to know, I will share there too! Thank you for your support!

[Anonymous]

If this is true, you should be posting it on listservs and Facebook under your real name so it can be verified. I can't treat an anon posting on DCUM as anything other than an unsubstantiated rumor.

Dear gentle reader: oh the irony when you’ve posted anonymously yourself.

That is your prerogative and this is mine. What would I benefit by making a stink of this as an unfounded rumor? Dr. Mann just sent out a message to IS families yesterday and the TCS board sent out their own messaging to TCS families as well.

If you don’t believe me, come to the next APS School Board meeting this coming Thursday, the 27th yourself. 7:00. I’ll be there, in red, alongside the rest of the IS and TCS community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are the IS kids integrated with TCS all day or for a portion of the day?

Toddlers attend 5 hours and 3-5 year old preschoolers attend 7:50-2:40. Same hours as any other APS early childhood program. For IS, it is a fully integrated program for all rooms except the Mini-MIPA (preschool autism class) and self-contained 3-5 class; those classes would suffer from the cut especially since they push in and out of the general education classes throughout their day (something not really implemented anywhere else in APS to the same extent).

Respectfully I’m not sure you are fully aware of what is happening in other parts of the county. There are SPED pre-k classes that are co-taught, self contained sped Pre-ks that push in and out of VPI, Mini-MIPA classes. I understand the program is special and have colleagues who send their babies to TCS and love it. But we need to make tough cuts this year and it would be more efficient to have them in the regular buildings (I’m not sure if other schools cut VPI this year- we have an empty room at my school.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I’m sorry your program is on the chopping block. But I’m not understanding why the school-based options will not serve your needs. Unfortunately we are looking at a lot less ideal options for everyone across the board and I’m not sure this is worth further teaching staff cuts or higher class sizes for older kids.

The school-based options pose a few challenges:
(1) APS leadership has yet to identify which sites the classes would relocate to. Which means we have no idea, nor does Dr. Mann, if there is actually enough capacity across APS schools to accommodate the number of students currently attending the program.
(2) If APS manages to relocate all the classes, the CPP program is already under-enrolled for peers needed. APS cannot guarantee that it will have community peers for all these classes. If students who previously attended or would have attended IS no longer are with their typically developing peers, then they would be in a self-contained environment. The move would be regressive since these students would no longer have access to or benefit from exposure to these peers.
(3) The Mini-MIPA (the preschool autism class) and self-contained 3-5 class would be the greatest programs to suffer. These are students who are not quite ready for a full-day of integration in a general education environment, but have access to these opportunities during their day in the IS program by pushing into the general education TCS classrooms.

Moreover, the budget study that APS paid bakertilly claims it would save $1 million. However, that number isn’t accurate when accounting for overhead that would still need to be covered regardless - such as staff salaries, benefits, and transportation. APS and the study also do not specify how much federal funds are provided per student to attend. At least currently, under IDEA, schools should receive direct funding per student with special education services. Even if the Department of Education is disbanded, this law would still be in effect.

So… We aren’t sure there is space, but you’re also concerned the program is under-enrolled?

Look, there’s what’s ideal, and then there’s real life. I’d love to keep the IS program as-is, but if it means making K-12 class sizes even bigger (they’re already huge in some schools!), then no, this pre-k program needs to be dissolved and the students need to be absorbed into already-existing pre-k classes. (No increase in overhead, as they already have teachers. And, you already suggested they’re under-enrolled.)