My daughter is three and attends a special needs preschool in Utah. My sister works as a special education preschool teacher in a different district in the state. Both of these situations have given me increased understanding of the special education environment. Utah traditionally has large class sizes across the board. This presents challenges for typical classrooms, and even greater challenges for special education classrooms. Each student in a Spec Ed class has their own Individualized Education Plan (IEP). IEPs are incredibly detailed and individualized, with specific intellectual, social, and even physical goals set for each person. Finding resources to adequately meet these goals is challenging in the best of circumstances. Teachers are tasked with an overwhelming amount of documentation and meetings (and occasionally home visits) involved with their positions, to say nothing of in-class instruction or maintaining a safe environment for a highly vulnerable population during this pandemic. From what I understand, the Jordan School District believes that consolidating programs will improve the educational opportunities of students by combining resources. I have seen firsthand through both my sister’s experiences as a teacher in such an environment and in my daughter’s own busy classroom that this is an inaccurate and limiting perspective. The more students a teacher is responsible for, especially when special needs and education plans are considered, the LESS time, attention, and resources are available for students.
The classroom environment resulting from combing the Spec Ed programs of multiple high schools can only result in more overcrowding and inadequacies. Utah classrooms are traditionally large in size, which is detrimental for typical students—it is much more demanding for students and teachers in a Spec Ed classroom. I am deeply disappointed that this is being promoted as a way to improve these students’ educational experience when anyone who has been in a Spec Ed classroom knows the taxing and overwhelming conditions that already exist.
Critical as these considerations are, none of this addresses the equally significant problems that withdrawing these programs will wreak upon the stability and social environments of these students and the growth opportunities available to their peers. At a time in our nation when polarization and discrimination are the worst they have been in years, why would you choose to remove students who in the majority possess the unique ability to love without barriers and inspire love as well? Why would you choose to set the example of segregation rather than compassion and effort for typical-developing students who need these lessons most at this time? This is a time when we need to give more effort, not less. We need to build up support systems in every special needs program in Utah both for the academic wellbeing of our special needs students, and the social wellbeing of our communities.
