How many special educators does it take to teach a child?

 How many special ed teachers does a school district need?

 

How many teachers for children with disabilities does a school system need?  The answer to that question depends on who is asking the question and how are they figuring it.

In Calvert County Maryland, the school district believes that 1 special ed teacher for every 175 students enrolled in the district is just right.  Given that most experts believe that the incidence of disabilities in the general population of a school is about 15%, that staffing pattern would yield one special ed teacher for every 26.4 children with disabilities.  That is quite remarkable because the average class size for plain kids in Calvert County grades k-3 is 20 and for grades 3-5, it’s 25.  So if you are an elementary aged child in Calvert County and you have a disability, you might be better off in general ed rather than getting the appropriate education you are guaranteed by both federal and state law.

In spite of those difficult staffing ratios, Calvert County is still short 16 special ed teachers as the start of the 24-25 school year approaches.

The head of special ed for Calvert County was challenged by several Board members regarding this ratio.   Two members of the Board did not think the ration was sufficient.  The special ed department director said that this was the ratio she inherited two years ago when she took over.   Somehow this situation seemed to make her think she wasn’t responsible for it two years later.

One Board member compared the vacancies and the staffing ratios to neighboring counties on both the western and eastern shores of Maryland.   All of the comparable school districts had lower staffing shortages and a better staffing ratio.

The special ed department director felt that all systems were dealing with a state-wide shortage of special ed teachers, even if other systems were reporting better numbers.

What is interesting is that even with the staffing shortages, and the poor staffing ratios, Calvert County still insists that it is able to provide the free, appropriate public education to children in the district.   When parents disagree and ask for an approved non-public program, they are in for a fight.

How does that logic work?  On the one hand, the system acknowledges they don’t have the staff or the staffing to do the job.  And on the other hand, they insist they can provide an appropriate education for their students with disabilities.  Interesting logic?