The D.C. Public Schools may have been making significant progress in special education. But its decision to fire more than 50 special education coordinators could put everything in jeopardy.
“This will have a negative impact on delivery of services to special needs children,” Aona Jefferson, president of the Council of School Officers, told me. The union has scheduled a rally for April 9.
Special education has been controversial since 1997, when parents and advocates filed a federal lawsuit — Blackman-Jones — asserting the lack of timely assessments and proper placements. Some of those charges have been settled. But DCPS remains under court order.
“This jeopardizes that in an unbelievably cavalier way,” one DCPS source told me.
The school system had indicated in its draft 2013 budget it intended to eliminate funding for the coordinators, called SECs in the school system’s parlance. But Jefferson said she and many principals believed employees would simply transfer to another budget category. Most learned only last week that, in fact, job descriptions had been rewritten, effectively disqualifying many current employees.
“DCPS will require that individuals who oversee special education implementation have certification in conducting psycho-education assessments as well as training in providing academic and behavioral interventions,” Jason Kamras, chief of the Office of Human Capital, wrote in a March 27 letter to Jefferson, a copy of which was obtained by me.
There are 102 SECs, Kamras wrote. “There will be 46 SECs next year. Thus, 56 will be subject to reduction in force.”
It’s a major decision to make late in the school year. Jefferson said many parents don’t know coordinators they have come to depend on may not be at their children’s schools. Further, the new positions require a master’s degree; the person would assume greater responsibilities for less pay.
“No one has received any notice — nothing,” said another DCPS worker, who like others requested anonymity.
“Look at the 102 people. You can guess the gender, age and ethnicity,” said yet another source, adding older workers and African-Americans have been “targeted.”
D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown told me he is concerned and plans to address the issue at the April 18 DCPS hearing.
“I don’t care about the adults or jobs. If this affects the academic outcomes for children, then it’s problematic,” added Brown.
“This shift will ensure that we provide our students with the maximum level of expertise in both service delivery and oversight,” Kamras wrote in the March 27 letter.
Jefferson said the action could be associated with labor negotiations. The union and DCPS are deadlocked; an arbitrator has been called in.
“The SECs and psychologists have not received a raise in six years,” she added.
Mayor Vincent C. Gray has boasted the city has brought back to DCPS special needs children who had been in private facilities, saving the government $16 million. As The Examiner’s Lisa Gartner reported, some of that money has been used for noneducational services.
If money is available, why not keep special education coordinators and increase school psychologists?
Jonetta Rose Barras’ column appears on Monday and Wednesday. She can be reached at [email protected].
