I'm requesting that we bring in an entity, a group of experts to survey and audit our special education department so we can fix it. We aim to stay in compliance in this very complex matter. We have a hiring problem. We've been trying to hire a speech and language therapist for months, but we're in competition with other schools and with the medical business. Specialists in speech therapy and, in fact, all special education teachers are in high demand and can pretty much name their price and place.
Special education is a very complicated and demanding part of all public schools.
Its rules for eligibility and for entry into special education are exact and have definite timelines. Even the terminology is complicated and the process can be overwhelming for parents of children with special needs. There are reviews, monthly, annually and a third year evaluation of students' progress. One would think that district administrators, teachers associations, specialists, experts, school boards and everyone else connected with special education could identify problems and fix them. The children deserve it and so do the teachers.