Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 19:01     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
I work with a para who came from a preschool autism program (CAPP). She said she rarely got to sit and eat her lunch because they were always down paras in the classroom. Also, because the general education specials teachers had limited experience with special education students, they didn't know what to do with the class, so the paras had to step in and keep the kids entertained for things like media and PE. The work can be back breaking, literally. AND many of the special education para positions didn't offer health care benefits, only hours.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 17:20     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


It does not bode well for MCPS special ed if that’s what the superintendent intends! Executive level staff need to spend a few days in schools, observing discrete and special school programs. Not just a walk-through but actually sit and see what is going on. For too long decisions have been made by people who have no idea what the real story is.


Couldn’t agree more. We need more discrete programs, not less. The home school model does not serve all special education students and I believe that’s intentional.

Parent of a special education student and MCPS staff member.


Except MCPS is getting its hand slapped by MSDE for having "too many" kids in LRE-C (less than 40% of time in gen ed). MSDE has picked some arbitrary percentage figure of kids, like 1%, who should be in these placements, and MCPS has too many, so they're chucking kids out into inclusion willy-nilly to get in compliance.

People want to blame MCPS for this stuff and seem to think they act in a vacuum. A lot of the things we hate and that don't work are driven by bureaucratic drones in MSDE who think everything should function a certain way because they read something about it, not because it actually works. Meanwhile everything goes down the drain and they watch the districts get hit by tomatoes from parents who quite reasonably don't realize where the actual mandates are coming from.


Same situation in FCPS. The people making these decisions haven't been in classrooms in decades and it shows.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 17:06     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:I think we are reaching a point where the "standard" teaching degree or certification should be a special ed degree. Every teacher should be equipped to handle special needs.


Even without specialized degree, all teachers can handle some special needs. The problem is numbers. 1 teacher for a class that includes mostly grade level students and a few special needs- no problem. I currently have an elementary class that has 9 kids with IEP’s and/or 504’s. That’s on top of the 15 gen ed kid- several of whom are below grade level. Interest list also includes 1 who came in speaking 0 English and a few others with limited English. Tantrums and throwing things is just a normal part of the day. No training will compensate for the makeup of the class. And the hour daily of sped support (when she’s not pulled and not on her IEP day…) does nothing to help!
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 17:01     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


It does not bode well for MCPS special ed if that’s what the superintendent intends! Executive level staff need to spend a few days in schools, observing discrete and special school programs. Not just a walk-through but actually sit and see what is going on. For too long decisions have been made by people who have no idea what the real story is.


Couldn’t agree more. We need more discrete programs, not less. The home school model does not serve all special education students and I believe that’s intentional.

Parent of a special education student and MCPS staff member.


Except MCPS is getting its hand slapped by MSDE for having "too many" kids in LRE-C (less than 40% of time in gen ed). MSDE has picked some arbitrary percentage figure of kids, like 1%, who should be in these placements, and MCPS has too many, so they're chucking kids out into inclusion willy-nilly to get in compliance.

People want to blame MCPS for this stuff and seem to think they act in a vacuum. A lot of the things we hate and that don't work are driven by bureaucratic drones in MSDE who think everything should function a certain way because they read something about it, not because it actually works. Meanwhile everything goes down the drain and they watch the districts get hit by tomatoes from parents who quite reasonably don't realize where the actual mandates are coming from.


I wonder if MCPS has ever pushed back on unworkable MSDE directives. Interesting that the state super, Carey Wright, is a former associate supe for SpEd in MCPS.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 16:50     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
I think we are reaching a point where the "standard" teaching degree or certification should be a special ed degree. Every teacher should be equipped to handle special needs.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 16:47     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:Too many special ed kids, not enough resources.


You can say not enough resources, but kids are kids. 'Too many' implies you could somehow have fewer.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 16:41     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


It does not bode well for MCPS special ed if that’s what the superintendent intends! Executive level staff need to spend a few days in schools, observing discrete and special school programs. Not just a walk-through but actually sit and see what is going on. For too long decisions have been made by people who have no idea what the real story is.


Couldn’t agree more. We need more discrete programs, not less. The home school model does not serve all special education students and I believe that’s intentional.

Parent of a special education student and MCPS staff member.


Except MCPS is getting its hand slapped by MSDE for having "too many" kids in LRE-C (less than 40% of time in gen ed). MSDE has picked some arbitrary percentage figure of kids, like 1%, who should be in these placements, and MCPS has too many, so they're chucking kids out into inclusion willy-nilly to get in compliance.

People want to blame MCPS for this stuff and seem to think they act in a vacuum. A lot of the things we hate and that don't work are driven by bureaucratic drones in MSDE who think everything should function a certain way because they read something about it, not because it actually works. Meanwhile everything goes down the drain and they watch the districts get hit by tomatoes from parents who quite reasonably don't realize where the actual mandates are coming from.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 15:46     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Amen! We've long needed an overhaul in special ed in CO. Given the federal and state and local funding trends, I'm not sure what exactly they'll be able to do, but the current bunch is awful. Overcrowded discrete classrooms because there aren't enough of them, long-term subs instead of teachers, not enough special ed paras, the list is endless.


If the problem is staffing, it’s a tough one to fix unless you have a lot of money to throw at it.


At least at the school I work at, general ed positions were cut to add more special ed teachers.


That’s not helpful.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 15:29     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Amen! We've long needed an overhaul in special ed in CO. Given the federal and state and local funding trends, I'm not sure what exactly they'll be able to do, but the current bunch is awful. Overcrowded discrete classrooms because there aren't enough of them, long-term subs instead of teachers, not enough special ed paras, the list is endless.


If the problem is staffing, it’s a tough one to fix unless you have a lot of money to throw at it.


At least at the school I work at, general ed positions were cut to add more special ed teachers.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 14:35     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


Does that include closing down the SESES programs in elementary schools? Has he visited those?
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 14:23     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


It does not bode well for MCPS special ed if that’s what the superintendent intends! Executive level staff need to spend a few days in schools, observing discrete and special school programs. Not just a walk-through but actually sit and see what is going on. For too long decisions have been made by people who have no idea what the real story is.


Couldn’t agree more. We need more discrete programs, not less. The home school model does not serve all special education students and I believe that’s intentional.

Parent of a special education student and MCPS staff member.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 14:17     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


It does not bode well for MCPS special ed if that’s what the superintendent intends! Executive level staff need to spend a few days in schools, observing discrete and special school programs. Not just a walk-through but actually sit and see what is going on. For too long decisions have been made by people who have no idea what the real story is.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 13:43     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!


It is but part of next year’s proposal asked for more special ed teachers. So what are they for. We need more programs not less. And specific ones for dyslexia and language disorders. And, lots more autism programs.
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 13:31     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!
Anonymous
Post 05/05/2025 13:31     Subject: Mcps special ed shake up?
Anonymous wrote:The amount of identified kids is high. The severity of needs has exploded. Yet, the student-teacher ratio has increased- especially in the discrete programs. My understanding is that the new superintendent wants to close down discrete programs in elementary and limited them in middle and high. Unfortunately, we need more programs, not fewer.


As spouse of a sped teacher in MoCo this is spot on. By upper elementary the placement should be mostly sorted out, and it’s not, partly because there’s a lack of differentiation. And last year he had 16 kids in a stand alone class, with one para. Ridiculous.