Special education revamp proves frustrating

Inadequate staffing, limited support systems, allegations of poor administrative communication and other structural issues are among the top concerns identified by parents seeking improvements.

For instance, some fear the district has not established suitable protocol for assuring students are meeting the mandated amount of class time required for their specific learning program.

Parent Casey Robinson noted the hurdles facing the historically cash-strapped district which have caused most of the problems, and said she is hopeful officials and school community members can work in tandem to a resolution.

“There have been many, many years of bad decisions to get to where we are now and it will take time to find solutions,” she said. “But the only way we will do that is to hold the district accountable and work together as a team.”

Superintendent Stella Kemp recognized the frustrations shared by parents, and committed to working collaboratively to overcome impediments which she said are faced by school systems across the state.

“The current model for special education isn’t working and we have to think about how that model will change over time. The needs are diverse and it’s a very challenging set of services. And San Bruno is one among many school districts dealing with that,” she said.

A primary hurdle faced by districts is a limited pool of special education teachers and paraprofessionals, said Kemp, as the teaching shortage facing California is especially acute in the specialized field.

In a district where funds are traditionally limited and teacher retention and morale are reoccurring problems, Kemp acknowledged the barriers posed by limited staffing can be especially severe.

She also pointed to personnel shortfalls as a source of the parents’ concerns over reaching the requisite hourly threshold for their students’ individualized education plan.

If a teacher is absent, or leaves the district, San Bruno officials are often hard pressed to find a qualified substitute, which can limit the quality of education for students, said Kemp. And when the district needs to look to other professional services to fill the voids, budgetary restraints are presented because outside help is costly, she said.

To ameliorate concerns around the issue, Kemp said the district is working to ramp up professional development opportunities for teachers while also closing the staffing gaps that may exist.

Robinson too acknowledged the crossover of challenges facing the district and state, but said that is not an excuse for the shortcomings locally.

“A lot of the problems are the same ones the state and country are facing,” she said. “It’s not like anyone expects San Bruno to sort it all out. But at the same time, there are things we can and need to do.”

Overseeing such an effort will be a new director of special education who Kemp said will soon be recommended to the school board to fill the currently vacant position.

Fixing staffing issues will be part of the new administrator’s role, along with overseeing the program design which was recently brought back under the district’s jurisdiction.

Previously, the district outsourced much of its special education program, but in an effort to address the budgetary strains officials decided to bring the service back in house.

Robinson said she appreciates the ambitious vision of officials, but maintains serious reservations regarding the new director’s capacity to accomplish such goals in short order.

“Let’s put some pieces around this because the worst thing that can happen is thinking the new director will come in an somehow magically fix all this over the summer,” she said.

Judy Silva, also a parent of a student in the special education program, shared a similar perspective.

“I hope the district is able to implement this system which - the outline of it looks great. But the reality of it is that it needs a lot more support, education and training,” she said.

Both Silva and Robinson encouraged officials to look to the parent community for support and expertise in the attempt to improve the program, as the engaged audience can be a cheap resource to fill some of the professional gaps. Such an effort would also go to addressing frustrations parents previously held regarding inefficient communication with school administrators.

To that end, Kemp met recently with parents from the special education community to address program changes and expects the conversation to continue.

“Solving these challenges is part of the work that I believe is important,” she said. Silva said such promises offer little solace for the frustration she has felt over the school year which, due to systemic dysfunction, she believes amounts to a lost opportunity for her son.

“It’s disappointing that this past year you can have amazing teachers but if they don’t have the support and help they need, it’s a mess,” said Silva, who plans to take her son out of the district next year.

Robinson was a bit more optimistic though, and said she is willing to give Kemp, who was hired only last year, a chance to deliver on her promises.

But she also recognized there were serious lingering relationship issues between school administrators and parents and teachers, which will require effort on all sides to mend.

“Some parents and teachers have really been burned. So for some, there is a large emotional obstacle to get over to trusting the district again. But I do think unless we are willing to come to the table, we are never going to be able to build that trust. We have to show up to build that trust.”

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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