WORCESTER—A report from Superintendent Rachel Monárrez and her team on the status of special education in the Worcester Public Schools presented at Thursday night’s school committee meeting drove home the message that scholars with disabilities are getting the help they need.
There was also acknowledgment that there is room for further improvement.
The superintendent described special education as “a district within a district” and said that fulfillment of the objectives outlined in the report, which was titled “Special Education: All Means All,” is “absolutely possible” despite growth objectives that still have to be met.
Marie Morse, Tammy Murray, Gina Creamer and Amanda Martinez handled the presentation on the superintendent’s behalf.
They pointed out that of the 24,744 students in the system, 5,433 are scholars with disabilities and 21% of these are receiving instruction in substantially separate classrooms. Also, 51% are Hispanic with the rest being white and African-American. A large percentage of students in the special-education category are males, they said.
The superintendent’s team emphasized that a goal is to educate special-needs students in a “Least Restrictive Environment,” or LRE, as opposed to a more restrictive setting. The latter is reserved for students with an emotional disability, autism, or inadequate life skills.
LRE focuses on inclusivity, speech, occupational therapy, deaf and hard-of-hearing children, and those with language learning disabilities.
Creamer said the relocation of the Worcester Alternative School to McKeown Road has been marked by “an incredible transition.” She commended the staff of the Alternative School for creating a “small, structured, and therapeutic environment.”
She also noted that “our kids have a resounding interest in the arts,” which has led to ways for them to pursue this passion. She mentioned a display of their artwork in a local hospital, work they have done on a mural at the Alternative School, and on such forms of self-expression as “tapestry words,” “anger pets” and a music studio.
A restructuring of the Alternative School has streamlined the number of teams from five to three, and resulted in the design of a new logo for the school, the committee was told.
Creamer said the 5,433 students have access to nine programs in 32 schools and that the staff-to-student ratio is “1 to 4.28.”
A seven-month review of special education resulted in the development of “Strengths to Leverage” and “Areas for Growth.”
In “Building the Foundation for the Future” and by moving behind $18 million in ESSER funds obtained for that purpose, the five areas of concentration will be: streamlining efficiencies; quality; accountability; inclusivity; and future readiness.
Co-teaching involving regular-education and special-education instructors is an essential element in making “Special Education: All Means All” reach its full potential, the school committee was told.
In complimenting the team on the “significant amount of work” that went into the report, and noting that she observed an “obvious spirit” during a recent visit to the Alternative School, Member Susan Mailman said she believes there is “a ton more work” to do. She pressed for a comparison of numbers between Worcester and the state and held “training needs” up as requiring further attention.
Members Maureen Binienda and Dianna Biancheria both asked for more data. Binienda also said co-teaching is a very important component in the special-education sphere and advocated for keeping it going even amid prospective budget cuts.
Binienda added that the location of the Alternative School “is difficult and the building is not conducive” to achieving desired results because of its small square footage.
A meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance, Operations and Governance earlier in the week produced a rundown of upcoming projects being undertaken by Facilities Management. Capital projects include the new Doherty High, now 84% complete and scheduled to open in the fall, Honeywell and Burncoat.
Projects in process include district-wide upgrades including ADA, district-wide capital planning, Fanning fire alarm and suppression and ADA improvements and the Vernon Hills materials lift upgrade.
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Central Massachusetts and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He can be contacted at rodlee1963@gmail.com
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