Involvement of directors of special education and pupil services will be crucial for creating marketing strategies, supportive work environments, staff inservice training and compensation packages that make schools an attractive employment option. School salaries and benefits that are not competitive in the therapy market, accompanied by a high cost to schools. Lack of understanding of the roles of therapy personnel in schools among school administrators, third party payers, therapists, parents and the general public. Inferior working conditions for therapy personnel in schools. Excessive caseloads and conflicting job duties.
Systems change involves continuous change over several years.
The State Superintendent has committed discretionary grant funds to CESA 1 to pilot a local project that promotes recruitment and retention of therapy personnel, investigation of therapy assessments linked to educational outcomes, OT and PT participation in team collaboration, and involvement of parents. Information on the OT and PT systems change project will continue to be disseminated through leadership conferences, professional meetings, and mailings.