All 13 school board candidates were contacted to answer questions specifically about special education. Although eleven promised to do so over a month ago, only 4 have followed through on that promise at this time. Instead of waiting until all of the answers have been received, I decided to post what I have and publish more as they (hopefully) respond.
Allen Lancaster, School Board Candidate District 3
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?
One of the biggest issues in our school system right now is the disconnect between our school leadership and our parents. That is one of the main motivating factors behind my decision to run for school board. I have seen through my own experiences and from discussions with many other parents that our school board representatives do not engage with the people they are elected to represent. Phone calls and emails go unanswered. Questions and concerns that parents have seem to be ignored. The problems that arise from this lack of communication affect all of our students, especially our parents of special needs students. There are other issues and challenges that we face. Teacher recruitment and retention, budgetary restraints, and keeping up with the challenges of a rapidly growing community are just a few. However, I firmly believe if we don’t address the communication gap between our school board and our community first, we will never correctly address the other issues. I have not promised people anything that I can do on our school board other than what I myself can control. However, the one thing I have promised is to listen to anyone who reaches out to me. I will listen to whatever issue or concern they are having, and I will respond with an answer or refer them to someone who can provide an answer.
2. How can we be sure to recruit, train, and retain skilled and caring educators and support staff?
Recruiting and retaining teachers and support staff is another huge issue facing our school system. Across our state and the entire nation, the number of teachers entering the profession is dropping and those leaving the profession early is rising. It is an issue I think the school board needs to do as much as possible to address. Pay is one factor. I would prioritize pay for our teachers and support staff over any special projects proposed. There are non-financial improvements that I feel could be made as well. One, simply listening to our teachers. Our teachers see firsthand what is working and what needs to be improved. One thing I have heard from several teachers that I have met while getting out in the community and introducing myself is that they feel like their input is not valued as highly as it should be. I want to be a board member that is actively engaged with our teachers. Someone they know has their backs and they feel confident in reaching out to share their concerns or ideas. Finally, I have served as a PTO board member for several years. Teacher morale is an issue that is very real and that we were constantly trying to improve. I want to constantly seek ways to lift up and recognize the effort and struggle that our teachers and support staff go through. That is something I believe I can carry over with me to the school board and hopefully be an example to others to follow.
3. How can we improve inclusion in the schools, both academically and socially?
I think we start by setting our goals as a system to go beyond the minimum requirements. I want every student to feel that they are an important and valued part of the school they attend. I want parents to feel that their school is striving to go beyond providing their child with the least restrictive environment. How do you improve something? You strategize constantly on ways to improve it. That strategic planning would revolve around our teachers, coordinators, parents, and organizations like this one.
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?
I will be the first to admit that I do not know enough about the needs, concerns, and issues that parents of special needs students face. I simply do not have the personal experience that you all share. I do, however, want to be able to represent you to the absolute best of my ability. I want our board to be adequately informed to your needs and concerns. One way I think this could be done is by creating an advisory committee devoted to our special needs students and their families. This would be a meeting where parents, organizations like this one, special needs directors, and board members could get together. It would give board members like myself an opportunity to further educate us on what your concerns are. It would also be an opportunity to share any policy changes that we are considering to ensure that we are proactive in discovering any unique considerations regarding our special needs students.
Hilary Lounder- School Board Candidate, District 3
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?
I reached out to parents who have/had children in SCS all along the special education spectrum and advocates who work with them and gained a lot of insight and was overwhelmingly told more needs to be done. Much of special education law is well defined and out of the hands of local school boards, but school boards can concentrate on compliance with these laws, as well as funding and staffing. As the parent of two dyslexic children with 504's I am obviously very invested in making sure ALL children are provided the best educational opportunities. I know from personal experience how taxing the process of getting resources in place for children with learning differences can be. I have a social work and education background and it took all my professional experience to get my children tested through the district. Every year as we review their 504s I have to again try to make sure they are not simply passed onto the next grade without adequate support to master grade level skills. This is not a failure on the school or teachers part, it’s a problem with funding. I feel even with children who do not have IEP's more intervention versus only accommodations would be helpful. Schools need the ability to proactively identify kids in need of additional help and have the resources to evaluate them as necessary because not all parents have access to private testing, advocates, and attorneys to get the diagnosis and IEP/504s needed to address their children's needs.
2. How can we be sure to recruit, train, and retain skilled and caring educators and support staff?
Our local school board does not set the school budget and of course I would like to see more funds for schools, but we are stewards of the money we are given. Teacher recruitment and retention is a nationwide issue and Sumner Co is no exception. We expect so much out of classroom teachers as far as carrying out accommodations and interventions and they simply do not have the time or resources. We must fund more specialists and support staff in every school in the district- our speech pathologists, school psychologists, OTs, etc are stretched too thin and children are waiting too long for testing, evaluations, and interventions. Giving teachers more training on ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and other "invisible" disabilities as well as how to properly discipline and address bullying where these children are involved is imperative. Specific training for all SROs, staff trained as registered behavioral technicians in all schools, pay increases for SPED assistants, and behavioral support teams or buddies for teachers who need the assistance would all be helpful additions.
3. How can we improve inclusion in the schools, both academically and socially?
More publicly funded preschool classes that include typical and atypical learners would be a great way to start inclusion from a young age. I believe making sure SPED children and those that qualify for additional services are not pulled out during special times like art, music, etc to avoid those interventions being viewed as a punishment. Restoring more resource classes to bridge the gap from CDC to full inclusion would help children who need academic assistance and some help with social skills.
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?
A parent member delegation to the school board composed of members who have children involved in special education be it in CDC, with a 504/IEP, or gifted would be a welcome addition. I also think school board members need to be given opportunities to increase their knowledge of special education laws, diagnosis, and interventions. I honestly feel unless you have had the experience as a parent yourself these trainings are invaluable.
Josh Graham- Future Write-in Candidate for District 9
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?
I like many of you have been to more IEP meetings than I can count and it always seems as though there is pushback for asking for additional support for our son with special needs. In speaking with numerous other families with students with special needs, it seems to be the norm. I think we need to take a deeper look at the current level of responsibility for our Special Education faculty to see if we are asking too much of them and if that is the reason for the constant pushback. If they are overwhelmed, we clearly need additional Special Education staffing for our students. Also, and this may be a pipe dream, but we need members of the BOE whom are empathetic to the families with students with special needs. Too many times (especially for first time IEPers) representatives from the BOE seem to gang up on the family member seeking services for their learner. I think it would be good to focus on empathy and instead of everyone digging in for a Battle Royale.
2. How can we be sure to recruit, train, and retain skilled and caring educators and support staff?
I have to say based on personal experiences we have phenomenal educators and support staff working with our students with special needs. I think best ways to retain them and all skilled staff is with competitive compensation as well as legitimate caring. By legitimate caring, I mean more so than soundbites of appreciation. We need to ask and fulfill their needs by providing the tools for which they ask.
3. How can we improve inclusion in the schools, both academically and socially?
Socially, our approach of inclusion is difficult, because we are dealing with societal norms often working against us. This approach will need to begin in our elementary grades to educate other students about their friends with special needs. We have been blessed over the years to have teachers whom have been able to clearly communicate with students in their classroom about the challenges our son has and how to understand him better so he can be better included. Academically, it takes additional accommodations for our students to compete with their peers.
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?
I would love for our families with learners with special needs to be able to address our School Board on the record regarding the plethora of concerns we have. Since our current School Board policy does not allow public comments on non-agenda items (and they rarely add our concerns to the agenda), I would use my position to publicly make known the concerns brought forth. School Board members are provided time at the end of every meeting to discuss anything they wish. I have seen discussions about sporting events, birthday parties and helicopter rides through Nashville, but I have yet to see them address any concerns from families with special needs. I would use my time to make those concerns known.
Don Scruggs, School Board Candidate District 11
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?
I think that Special Needs Kids don't have no where near enough exposure!!!... I think that we need to advertise and or notice the GREAT potential of our special needs kids!!!... I just think that Special Needs has been kept quiet too often!!!..... I can honestly say that I hear and or read very little about special needs kids!!!...
2. How can we be sure to recruit, train, and retain skilled and caring educators and support staff?
I will ALWAYS do anything in my power to recruit and train good employees to work with special need kids!!!....
3. How can we improve inclusion in the schools, both academically and socially?
Have you ever thought of supporting "inclusion" by having projects that are designed to put special need kids with other kids so as to intentionally have them to work and complete projects TOGETHER???....... I am all for any and all projects that include a good mix of all the kids in our school system!!!
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?
As for your last question, let me say that when the school doors open and the first bell rings, all the kids in the system are ALL KIDS!!.... There are no white kids, no black kids, no red kids, no smart kids, no dumb kids... They are ALL EQUAL IN ALL RESPECTS and are ALL defined as KIDS!!!..... As school board member, special needs kids has the same chance as all the other kids!!!.... I will treat no kid any less than any other kid!!!... Special needs kids will have every chance in communications and planning as any other kids!!!.... I know that my opponents will have all kinds of promises to blow as smoke!!!... But Colonel Don Scruggs will treat the special needs kids as I see them... AS EQUAL IN ALL RESPECTS..... and as just plain KIDS!!!!.....
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