Steven King- District 5
1. What do you see as one of the county’s main challenges regarding special education and what ideas do you have to improve this?
It is hard for me to answer this question as I am not an “insider.” However, in recent weeks I have spoken with many parents of special needs students and have received varying reports about special education in Sumner County Schools. Some reports have been very good. Others have indicated they are seeking alternative schooling options because Sumner County is not meeting their needs in terms of providing necessary services. Some of these services are available to students in Nashville’s public schools, but not here. I would like to explore adding these services in order to accommodate every student. If it is a question of funding, I believe we can reallocate funds from planned future projects that do not prioritize the pressing needs of students, teachers, and staff. One such project is the Comer Barn AG/STEM center. This will waste millions of parents’ hard earned tax dollars and produce very little return on investment in terms of student achievement outcomes. It is hard to take seriously any elected official or political candidate who decries that our schools are underfunded, especially in the area of special education, but then supports wasting millions to restore an old horse barn. We need to prioritize the needs of our students first over special interests.
2. How can we be sure to recruit, train, and retain skilled and caring educators and support staff?
I’ve had parents of special needs students tell me they are frustrated with the high rate of turnover and the lack of available support staff. Having to constantly readjust to new people can be a challenge for some students with special needs. One of my initiatives is to increase the pay of support staff. We simply are not providing adequate economic incentives to recruit them, let alone train and retain them. Again, this is a pressing need that is being neglected in order to prioritize special interests over the needs of our teachers and staff. Case in point, the Sumner County Commission recently approved $40 million over 30 years in unnecessary corporate tax subsidies. That’s $1.3 million a year that could be used for teacher salaries and support staff pay increases.
In addition, one of my biggest concerns regarding teacher recruitment and retention is the rapid growth of our county. Currently there are over 4000+ planned and approved homes that have yet to be built, which will put tremendous strain on our schools. If we are dealing with staff shortages and retention issues now, especially in the area of special education, how much more with such an influx of population? The school board needs to communicate these issues with the county commission. I’m not convinced they are doing this. The question that should be asked before approving any new development is how will it affect our schools and our students? There needs to be a plan for our current teacher recruitment and retention needs. We just can’t assume about the future “if we build it, they will come.”
3. How can we improve inclusion in the schools, both academically and socially?
Unless there’s a compelling reason, students should be in general education classrooms as much as possible. That is the law. There are some who believe anything short of full inclusion is discrimination. I think that is extreme. Not every student has the same needs. Some special needs students do well with full inclusion. Others require comprehensive development classrooms (CDC). I think one of the best means of inclusion is the arts. Whether its music, visual art, or theater, there are many opportunities for inclusion in the arts, both academically and socially, regardless of the disability. As a music educator with ten years’ classroom teaching experience, five of those in elementary K-4 schools, I’ve seen first-hand how powerful the arts can be in creating community among all students. In my experience working with special needs students, I have found that participation in the arts usually requires very few restrictions and minimal accommodations, which makes the arts the perfect inclusive setting for students with special needs to thrive.
4. What would you do as a school board member to ensure that students involved in special education were consistently considered in communications and planning and why might this be important?
Special education is a unique area that requires significant knowledge and experience, and I’ve found that parents of special needs students are typically the experts. Thus, as a school board member I would afford parents of special needs students every opportunity to communicate their concerns. I’ve had many conversations in recent weeks with such parents that proved to be extremely educational for me. I believe such personal interaction is crucial, and I would dedicate time to speak to them face to face, by phone, or by email. One of my initiatives is to change board policy to allow public comments on non-agenda items whereby parents could speak their concerns on the record without having to seek approval. Also, I believe advocacy groups made up of insiders in the field such as your organization can be a tremendous asset towards educating and bringing awareness to the school board and the public. More engagement is a good thing.
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