Posted 5-16-2018 (Dated 5-15-2018) SPED Task Force recommendations; BOE meeting to discuss them Thursday

SPED recommendations: Adequate IEP time, base funding on SPED student needs, more! Aloha Members: In spite of HSTA’s best efforts at the bargaining table, one of the disappointing aspects of our latest contract was the inability to gain new special education provisions. During negotiations, Board of Education members committed to form a P.I.G. (permitted interaction group) address the SPED concerns that HSTA brought up. When Superintendent Christina Kishimoto was hired, she made special education a priority and formed a task force to deal with the issue. The superintendent wanted HSTA’s voice on the panel and asked HSTA to select five members to serve on the task force. The SPED Program Review – Superintendent Task Force spent the last six months working to develop recommendations being presented publicly for the first time this Thursday, May 17, at the Board of Education Meeting. The comprehensive recommendations for changes in Special Education address many concerns of our members, such as: Allocating funding (including staffing) based on student needs, similar to the system used before 2009 Allowing adequate time for IEPs and care coordination with options such as 8 to 10 substitute days, recall pay and release time for SPED teachers Giving all new SPED teachers a mentor with expertise in SPED Improving professional development for all educators for inclusive practices Conducting a comprehensive study to identify best inclusive practices across the state Creating common understanding and definitions of inclusive education (e.g., What is inclusion?) You can read the entire document – with detailed SPED recommendations -- here. The task force will share the plan this Thursday, May 17 at 5 p.m. in the Queen Liliuokalani Building, 1390 Miller Street, Room 404, during the BOE’s meeting at DOE headquarters. Here is a link to the agenda.  There are a lot of recommendations from the task force that can improve special education in Hawaii, but we still need the BOE and the superintendent to make them happen. If you are a special education teacher and would like to share your ideas or to inform the superintendent and the Board of Education of your current conditions and how they affect your students, please come to testify. It doesn’t have to be formal, just come and share your story. You can also send in your testimony to: testimony_boe@notes.k12.hi.us(include “testimony” in the subject line). Hope to see you there, Corey Rosenlee HSTA President

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