District ignores its own contract, leaves staff and family voices out of decisions about special education staffing.
The Seattle Special Education PTSA is concerned about the plan by Seattle Public Schools to make adjustments to special education staffing in 50 schools. We have heard from teachers and families who are worried about safety, educational appropriateness, and other issues. We understand that there are some schools that are under-staffed and agree that must be addressed. However, families and teachers are raising legitimate concerns about some of the staffing decisions being made and how those decisions will impact students, families and teachers.
As stated in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between SPS and Seattle Education Association (SEA) 2019-2022, there is a “Joint Special Education Task Force” (the Task Force). The Task Force is to include “SEA represented educators, appointed by SEA and building administrators, family representatives and leaders from the Special Education Department appointed by the District.” (CBA Art. IX, 5a at p. 92.) (emphasis added.)
The District has not appointed any family representatives to serve on the Task Force since the CBA went into effect in 2019.
We understand that the Task Force’s first monthly meeting of 2021-22 is scheduled for October 28, 2021. Among other items, the Task Force is to monitor and review “student numbers, … current schools with services provided, capacity of buildings, staff turnover, vacant certified and classified special education positions ….”
We understand from SEA that past practice before fall staffing adjustments would be implemented was that the Task Force would review data and work together collaboratively to agree on appropriate staffing adjustments.
Since the Task Force has not met this year, that practice was not followed. Moreover, the voice of family representatives will be missing.
On September 16, 2021, the Seattle Special Education PTSA wrote to the District raising the issue of the lack of family representation on the Task Force. We requested information and documents regarding the work of the Task Force since 2019 for our review. We have received none.
On September 17, 2021, we received an email explaining it would take time to gather and provide us the documents and information requested. No response was provided to our questions about why the District had not appointed family representatives to the Task Force in over two years and when/how they would be appointed now.
On the morning of October 21, 2021 we sent an email to the District regarding the proposed staffing adjustments, joining SEA in asking that the Task Force review staffing adjustments before any implementation and asking that family representatives be part of that process.
By the afternoon of October 21, 2021 we received a response by email quoting an outdated description on the SPS website (link: Parent Leadership) of the Task Force’s purpose along with inaccurate information on what entity is responsible for appointing family representatives, in this case solely the District. Reviewing the 2019-2022 CBA for clarification, we reached a decision to issue this statement.
The Seattle Special Education PTSA understands:
- Declining and shifting enrollment will require re-allocating staff.
- In some schools, special education services have been without required staff since school started.
- The administrator(s) responsible for removing family representatives from the Task Force is no longer at the District, although we believe this action was prior to the 2019-2022 CBA .
With concerns about the health and safety of disabled students brought to us by parents, teachers, aides, and SEA representatives, we have an obligation as an advocacy organization to seek answers. Our questions about the process not aligning with the current CBA are valid and worth an accurate and timely response.
More than that, we want to see the District follow the CBA, appoint family representatives to the Task Force and have the Task Force review the proposed staffing adjustments before they are implemented so that through authentic collaboration we can make the best decisions in the interest of student and their differing needs.
Please join us on Wednesday, October 27 at 4:30 pm at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence for a rally with SEA to share our stories and show our concern. Please send us your stories and/or concerns about the proposed staffing changes — [email protected]
