Tuesday afternoon I attended a Special Education and Panel Discussion for Edmonton Trustee Candidates hosted by ARTES. It was an opportunity to learn more about students with exceptional learning needs. We had three fantastic parents willing to share their personal experiences with the state of special education and the supports in place in Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic Schools. Over 20 people attended and a very informative discussion followed. The three speakers were
- Lori Fankhanel, President, Sensory Processing Disorder Canada Foundation. Lori is a parent of two elementary aged children with exceptional learning needs.
- Wendy Sauve, member of the Edmonton Regional Coalition for Inclusive Education. Wendy is a parent of a child transitioning into high school in an inclusive setting.
- Kathryn Burke, Executive Director, Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta. Kathryn is a parent of two children with exceptional learning needs.
The discussion was moderated by Dale Hudjik, President of ARTES.
This discussion was well-timed with the provincial focus on special needs education as of late. Interestingly enough, there wasn’t too much discussion on the new “Setting the Direction” report recently released by the province which I thought might monopolize discussion. Full inclusion is a subject that I have been receiving quite a few questions about on the door steps from teachers and concerned parents. Discussion did touch on a number of important issues and areas for improvement. A couple of the key recommendations from the panel to the trustee candidates were:
1) Create an EPSB Special Needs Task Force to examine the needs and the practices currently in place. A motion came forward earlier this year to the EPSB board and was voted down. (A tie vote does not pass the motion. Sue Huff detailed the motion here: http://suefortrustee.blogspot.com/2009/06/board-outcomes.html) The panel today called for the board to create a task force and for trustees to remain appraised of the progress. Composition for the task force would include administrators, teachers, and a variety of perspectives. It would help identify needs and available resources and ensure that they are being applied strategically. To date, there has not been a Special Needs Task Force created for Edmonton Public. I’ve heard there has been research by various areas within EPSB done on some of the issues already. If this is the case, this research would compliment the need for a comprehensive and centralized process that could help generate new policy ideas and best practices.
2) Have school districts dictate to the post-secondary institutions that only graduates with some special education training will be hired by Edmonton Public as teachers. Currently, Edmonton Catholic doesn’t hire students who have not completed faith education. If the districts made it clear that special educational skills were not just desired but required, new teachers would arrive equipped with a greater skill set and resources. This would help not only those students with exceptional needs in their classroom, but all students who might benefit from having a teacher armed with a wider array of teaching talents. With a provincial direction moving towards full inclusion in the classroom, these skills might become a necessity sooner than we expect.
Both proposals are interesting ideas that I would like to explore more for Edmonton Public. I would have been interested to hear a few more specific policy recommendations aside from the two core ideas that were presented.
Considering 10%-20% of students have some kind of a learning disability, and given the potential changes that might be coming forward with “Setting the Direction”, it would be a great time to move forward with a Special Needs Task Force. Edmonton Public should explore these areas where there might be synergies and help to develop a more consistent standard across the EPSB system. Panelists and audience members indicated that there are varying levels of experience among parents and students, and varied practices in schools, especially depending on the resources and attitudes of the school.
Thanks to the three panelists and the other folks in attendance who shared their stories and their experience. They are truly dedicated advocates.
What do you think? What has been your experience? If you don’t want to leave a comment, please feel free to contact me michael@michaeljanz.ca
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