A shortage of special education teachers and an increase in special needs students have many Montgomery County parents feeling that their children are underserved, especially at the secondary level.
Parents demanding services for their children, however, are met with administrators facing budget constraints and pressure to “mainstream” students — educate them in regular classrooms under unique specifications.
The problem has become most noticeable at Gaithersburg High School, where a secluded program for students with autism and emotional disturbances has come under scrutiny by parents and lawyers for employing teachers without special education certification.
While the total number of special needs students has remained stable in recent years, close to 16,000 of the roughly 140,000 students in the district, the number of autistic students has soared. According to Superintendent Jerry Weast, it’s grown from 68 students to 1,100 during his 10-year tenure.
Kate Harrison, spokeswoman for the schools, acknowledged “capacity is a huge problem,” but added it’s a problem in school districts around the region and the country.
Gwendolyn Mason, the district’s director of special education, said she was unaware of the program’s staffing problems. Teachers who testified at court hearings to determine appropriate student placement, however, acknowledged a lack of certification or training for autism, a complicated brain disorder affecting all aspects of a child’s learning.
Throughout the county, more than 100 positions are open for special educators, 60 of which are at the middle and high school level.
“The need is going to grow and grow,” said Terry Scott, educational director for Montgomery County’s Kennedy Krieger School for students with brain disorders.
His school receives tuition money — up to $85,000 per year — from public school systems unable to serve students with the greatest needs.
Kennedy Krieger opened a Rockville campus this year at the request of county officials. Enrollment is projected to reach about 20 by the end of the current school year, with plans to expand to up to 45 students in coming years.
“We’re seen as a double-edged sword” by district officials who recommend placement to schools like Kennedy Krieger when all “free” options have been exhausted,” Scott said. “They like us because we’re successful, but we’re not going to be able to solve all the needs they have in the county — we’ll be a drop in the bucket.
“And they’re not glad to send kids to our school and pay for it,” he added.
