Garland, TX — If you haven’t been involved with the extensive Special Education program in Garland ISD you may not appreciate the importance of this program for our overall educational ecosystem. First, it’s critical to understand that this program, which is at stake with this week’s election, touches some 12% of the total student body of the district. That translates to more than 6,000 students who receive some level of support from special education services. Here’s a look at some of the essential programming this covers:
*Minimal Support: Some students just need a little nudge to maximize their educational potential. Maybe they need the additional accountability of a case manager who checks in on them regularly, monitors grades and can do pull-out reteaching, if necessary. That’s under SPED services.
*Medium Support: Some students have a disability of some kind and need help that an overloaded classroom teacher may not have the ability to provide. Maybe they even need more focused instruction in a subject like English, Math or Science. SPED also provides classrooms and certified teachers in core subjects who can give direct instruction to those students who aren’t able to keep up with the rigorous instruction taking place in the regular classrooms. That’s under SPED services.
*High Support: SPED also covers students with more extreme needs, with the goal of keeping them as involved with their peers as possible. The range of behavior students who often wind up being placed off campus for extreme issues have a buffer zone here. Garland ISD strives to keep all students on campus, in class and engaged in their educational process, but in some cases that’s only possible with additional structure and tiered consequences. These classrooms are designed to help students understand the privilege and responsibility education represents, and teachers in these classrooms have more training in counseling techniques and may have success with students who have struggled to find an academic “home” in the system. Every student needs to feel seen and heard, and for some this is the last chance they have to find that before they wind up in what amounts to the criminal justice system. Could there be a higher calling?
*Maximum Support: There is also a small population of students in Garland ISD who need total care. Some schools are set up with special units with trained medical and educational professionals working side-by-side to provide everything from tube feeding and toileting assistance to basic job skills training designed to maximize the potential of each student. These students are given opportunities to interact with the general population, as well, with programs like Partners PE that benefit the special population and others equally. The special needs students often see their student volunteers as friends and even siblings and look forward to those special times they spend together. The student volunteers also benefit from the experience of helping others who truly depend on them for support and friendship.
As you step into the ballot box this week, it’s important to understand what’s at stake for these students who currently receive the broad spectrum of services detailed above. Where will they go if our schools no longer have the support they need? Some may wind up in healthcare facilities that taxpayers also fund, some may wind up in the criminal justice system which is also funded by taxpayers. Why not do everything we can to give those students the best chance they have at growing and flourishing as contributing members of our community?
Bill Ingram is a professional writer and college professor who spent many years working in special education classrooms, including every single one of the programs described above.
