Reply to APS elementary schools and special needs

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]by "increase capacity" I meant increasing the number of reading specialists who can conduct small group remediation for those who need direct instruction.
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I can't speak to the rest of your post, and am sorry to hear it, but FWIW this is not a decision at the school level.  APS has defined ratios in terms of how many specialists are assigned based on the population size of a school.  No principal can just decide to add a reading specialist, or art teacher, or math coach.  Those decisions are at the system level.[/quote]

+1. Staffing levels are determined by central administration and while principals can request additional staffing based on extenuating circumstances, those requests are rarely granted and are only granted for a single year at a time.[/quote]

Thank you and that is my point. Due to McK's overcrowding, some students aren't being served. Leaders need to demand more of what the population needs (more reading specialists for example) rather than act like they've "got it covered" because they don't. APS can improve and think it is in some ways, but has a way to go. [/quote]

I generally agree with you, but I think sometimes we blame school-level administrators more than they deserve. We don't know what they may be pushing for with central administration, and without more resources they can only do so much. When parents respond to insufficient hours and other supports by blaming the school-level administration rather than pushing central administration to increase SpEd staffing, I think that tends to make things worse because it gives central administration an excuse to blame the school admin when a complaint comes in rather than evaluate whether they're providing enough resources to the school.[/quote]

This.  Let's break it down.

1.  Schools grow too big.  Staffing is set b/c APS at Syphax didn't really plan for anything over 725.  Even at 725, they didn't realize how much more of a resource strain that was than 650.

2.  School admin requests more staff to make up for student needs.

3.  Syphax tells schools to make it work.  They stress all the cuts that already happened and that they have nothing to give.  School admin is stuck looking like the bad guy when they can't get more people and they can't throw their employer under the bus.

4.  Parents get mad at school staff, whose hands are tied.  Parents should go to Syphax and SB members and demand that the outdated ratios can't be the end-all-be-all and that some schools/grades have greater need.  [/quote]

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