• Consider IEP writing days built into the calendar (already implemented in some districts). Smarter Scheduling • Allocate protected time during the school day for case management duties. • Ensure reasonable caseloads aligned with state and federal guidelines. • Coordinate with general ed teachers to reduce overlapping responsibilities. Use or acquisition of Paraprofessionals • Assign and train paraeducators to handle routine or non-in- structional tasks. • Empower paraeducators to provide academic support un- der the teacher's guidance. Technology Integration (Boom Learning is a great solution and will be discussed later in this article). • Use apps or software to track progress and share updates with parents and staff efficiently. • Automate data collection with tools that reduce redundan- cy. Improving Lack of Professional Respect Professional Development (PD) for All Staff (Boom Training Academy can support districts with PD as we will discuss later in this article) • Require schoolwide PD on inclusion, equity, and the role of special educators. • Train general ed teachers on collaborative teaching mod- els (co-teaching, push-in support). Cultural Change in Schools • Recognize and celebrate special ed achievements publicly. • Include special ed teachers in decision-making bodies, leadership teams, and committees. • Use peer mentoring programs to build relationships be- tween general and special ed staff. Administrative Support (Boom Training Academy can support districts with PD) • Train administrators to advocate for and support special ed staff explicitly. • Encourage principals to defend teacher planning time and set norms for interdepartmental respect. Visibility and Advocacy • Create opportunities for special ed teachers to present at staff meetings, parent nights, or PD days. • Encourage community engagement to raise awareness about the scope and impact of special education work. LACK OF STANDARD-BASED MATERIALS OR CURRICULUM Special education teachers face several challenges in finding and using appropriate content and lessons for their students, in- cluding adapting materials to different learning styles and needs, ensuring accessibility, and staying current with best practices.
Educators face specific challenges that also include time con- straints, limited resources (including data tools), lack of multidis- ciplinary support for implementation and training, and navigat- ing complex Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and laws. These teachers have a constant need to adapt their content to meet their students’ diverse needs, addressing accessibility requirements, inclusion barriers, limited resources, evolving best practices, curriculum implementation challenges, and ongoing social and professional stigmas. Special education teachers are constantly having to mod- ify current content to meet the needs of the students in their classrooms. To accomplish this, they often take general educa- tion content and make modifications to these materials to help their students learn. Very often accessibility in the form of visual, auditory and motor access are not addressed, and skill and/or age-appropriate considerations are not applied either. Often the materials lack accessibility and are just not age respectful, forc- ing teachers to use immature content for older students. Teach- ers are not adhering to best practices, which again adds to their stress and can increase negative student behaviors. It has been noted that often special education teachers are us- ing old, outdated and uninspiring content purely because there is nothing available, and current publishers are not updating their content. Special Education Publishers have been trying to address the lack of K-12 content for students with special needs, but because these students often need their content modified or accommodations put in place many of these available solutions still fall short. LACK OF FUNDING = “DO MORE WITH LESS MONEY” Every State and Local Education Agency (LEA) is expected to identify more students with special needs and support them with less money. While the prevailing view is that increased fund- ing generally improves student outcomes, schools can imple- ment strategies to "do more with less" by focusing on targeted interventions, leveraging technology and optimizing resource allocation. These strategies aim to enhance efficiency and effec- tiveness within existing budgets, rather than relying solely on in- creased funding (www.aft.org). • IDEA funding remains below requirement: The federal gov- ernment still funds only about 15% of special education costs, far short of the 40% IDEA target, forcing states and districts to cover the rest (forbes.com). • Rising local burden: Districts now shell out up to 25% of their general budgets on special education due to growing student numbers and costly services. • Special education enrollment is increasing at an accelerat- ed rate: nearly 8 million students, with upwards of 1 million new enrollees expected between 2021 and 2025 (k12dive. com). • Per-pupil special education costs are roughly double those of general education, straining local budgets. Districts of-
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