Editor’s note: The following column was submitted by a guest contributor and represents the author’s perspective.
As a special education paraprofessional, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of inadequate funding on our special education programs.
The rise in autism diagnoses and the increasing need for behavioral and mental health support have put these districts in a critical position. Unfortunately, they are failing to address this issue effectively. They have cut paraprofessionals, overloaded support staff, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and social workers, with an excessive number of children. This leads to overworked and burnt-out staff, many of whom eventually leave to work in private settings.
The individuals responsible for budgeting rarely visit schools to assess how these funds are being used or identify areas where they need to be allocated. If anyone from the Board of Education does tour a school, it is carefully planned to showcase the best classrooms and limit their time to no more than an hour or two. These individuals need to come in, spend a day in a classroom, and truly understand the challenges faced by teachers and their support staff.
Administration overlooks this problem and focuses solely on mainstream education, allowing them to boast about the latest technology they have implemented, such as new laptops and iPads loaded with expensive apps that children rarely use. In my opinion, this is money wasted.
Teachers of all types, as well as their support staff, advocate for these students, but their efforts often fall on deaf ears. Parents with children with IEPs or 504 plans must be vigilant and ensure that the school is following their child’s specific needs. They should also assess if the school has the necessary resources, including staff and tools, to provide the best possible support. Parents should also attend board meetings and ask these questions.
They should also explore private funding options for their school, as there are numerous private grants available for students and teachers. Parents should speak with the PTO president to learn where the money from fundraisers is allocated. In my eight years of working in a public school as a paraprofessional or staff member, I have never witnessed funds raised for special education students being spent on anything related to them. Instead, it is allocated to frivolous items like book vending machines in the hallway or end-of-the-year parties. As far as I can see, this money has been raised for the entire school, not just for general education students.
For instance, I have witnessed elementary schools raise up to $50,000 simply by hosting a fun run. Instead of spending $20,000 on a licensing fee for an application on an iPad or computer that most students will never use, that money could be utilized to pay for the salary of an additional staff member or technology that would enable a nonverbal student to communicate effectively. And still, there would be ample funds left over. Of course, fundraising dollars would vary from school to school. The objective is to create an equitable playing field for all students attending these schools. Michigan schools adhere to the No Child Left Behind policy, and they also have schools filled with special education students who are often overlooked and left behind.
Sherry Ioannou is a mom of two boys with a background as a special education paraprofessional. She works as a part-time nanny, combining her love for kids, her classroom experience and her passion for helping little ones feel supported, understood and safe.
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