Special Education Budget Gets Fed Funds

Close to $2.5 million in federal funds is headed to Norwalk that will have to be spent on special education programs or projects, and part of the strings attached is that whatever it is spent on will have to be sustained beyond the two year grant period. That means, for example, if the money is used for labor, someone else will have to pick up the tab for it. It’d be interesting if there was a claw back provision.

The big question for the board of education, is what is the plan? With all those administrators charged with curriculum development, surely, there’s a plan in place right? Surely there’s been programs cut becuase of a lack of funding right? Guess again.

There is no plan because for years this board of ed has not beeing questioning exactly where budget dollars actually end up. So Norwalk hired an unqualified special education organization and found itself the subject of a lawsuit. Maybe legal fees are sustainable beyond two years is the type of planning the baor dof ed does.

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  • Bruce Kimmel

    As a result of data from standardized tests and observations made in the Cambridge Report, last year the state required Norwalk to hire outside consultants to analyze the district’s entire special education program. Apparently, the problems were so serious and widespread that the Cambridge folks could not do it themselves.

    The result of that comprehensive analysis, called the CREC Report, was adopted by the Board earlier this year; actually, the Board had no choice: to reject it would have had the state once again breathing down Norwalk’s neck.

    The report is available and should be read; it does indeed delineate a system with little rhyme or reason when it comes to Special Education. Witness the problems associated with our autism services and the fact that nobody really knew who was paying whom and for what.

    As to budgets and funding for Special Education: specifically, where the dollars are going — I would suggest checking out how many assistant directors for Special Education are still in the system, what they do, who works for them, etc. From a distance, time-wise, it seemed to me that not enough personnel were actually in the schools delivering much-needed services.

    • turfgrrl

      Bruce Kimmel: Thanks for pointing out that the CREC report covered the problems with Special Education. You also raise an interesting point about the assistant directors and what their assignment is. I have heard anecdotally that certain schools are not offering some special education programs, which seems odd considering.

      • Anonymous

        Bruce,
        Thank you for taking the report seriously. The special education administrators put the children last and themselves first. If you took a survey of the special education staff you would be shocked by the mismanagement and punitive environment these administrators have created in our schools. They will never admit responsibility. Instead they find staff to blame and harass.

  • Sue Haynie

    I agree with Mr. Kimmel in that the Special Education CREC report is a must-read. The summary version is at http://www.norwalkpublicschools.org/pdf/crecsumm.pdf. Some of the issues I find concerning:

    Special ed represents 18% to 20% of the district budget; such a large portion of the budget should be clearly and transparently delineated. In the 2009/10 budget documents, special ed costs were separately identified in all 19 schools and central office; there was no summary page. Thus, finding the special ed bottom line costs and understanding those costs from a historical perspective was not easily attainable. In a related matter, how will the new $2.5 million in Stimulus funding be used?

    Although the year-old CREC report notes that there is a “significant, systemic communication problem”, special ed parent training and information series, which are an essential and inexpensive service, is still in stall mode. Collaboration on a very good Parent Handbook is nearing completion but, there is no plan to ensure that special ed parents are informed of its existence and/or given a copy.

    Learning disabilities, by far the largest category in special ed, are very often reading disabilities. They require timely and effective reading intervention. Norwalk will continue using the ‘discrepancy model’ (aka ‘the wait to fail model’) instead of the CREC and State recommended, research-based ‘SRBI’ model until some time during the 2010/2011 school year.

    The Federal law that governs special ed, the Individual w/Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), is a powerful law that provides process and a significant level of protection to a child with an IEP. The Norwalk special ed department is clearly unnerved and concerned about the litigious potential of IDEA, but unwilling or unable to articulate positive, forward moving goals.

    • Abe

      Please read the following article in “The Hour”. Your statements contradict the following article.

      Teachers attend training day

      The article states:

      “I think other districts are not only looking how Norwalk has included this thinking in the District Improvement Plan but how Norwalk has designed professional development so it’s not only top down but ground up,”

      It does not sound like we are lagging but leading!

  • Gorrila

    Quick somebody order a truckload of gorrila glue. Apparently there are alot more fractured china in the bull shop than we previously thought. Between Hartford and Norwalk time to turn on the batman call spotlight. Humpty Dumpty is flatlining.

  • Plato

    Why does Norwalk need so many special education administrators? Other districts just as large do not have 5? Other districts do not have the amount of lawsuits that Norwalk has. The issue is Norwalk has 5 and they are still not able to implement the CREC report. There is no way they can justify the work they are doing. The superintendent needs to make all the special education administrators re-apply for their jobs. They do nothing but create law suits and cause turmoil. All with the blessing of Fay. Fay continues to hire substandard administrators incapable of doing the job. In return, Central Office blames everyone else for their failure to lead. Placing the blame on everyone but themselves. When will someone downtown take responsibility for this failing system?

    • Abe

      Please read the following article in “The Hour”. Your statements contradict the following article.

      Teachers attend training day

      The article states:

      “I think other districts are not only looking how Norwalk has included this thinking in the District Improvement Plan but how Norwalk has designed professional development so it’s not only top down but ground up,”

      It does not sound like we are lagging but leading!

      • Sue Haynie

        Abe–
        Delays in implementation of sound programs and PD hurt kids, every day is a day lost– a child who doesn’t learn to read by the end of 1st grade only has a 1 in 8 chance of ever catching up.

        From November 2008 CREC report, page 11, regarding RTI (SRBI): “We were pleased to see the adoption of Response to Intervention (RTI) model in some of the schools. The schools that have adopted the model such as Rowayton, Ponus (6th gr), Marvin and Nathan Hale indicate the results for students who are struggling has been good. Currently, there is no district-wide vision or plan for RTI. Since a RTI (SRBI) process is required by the State Dept of Ed to be part of an effective evaluation for identifying a learning disability by June 2009.”

        From the June 2009 BoE Curriculum Committee meeting minutes: “SRBI final info has not released by the State and the District has a one year waiver.” It is also mentioned in those June 2009 minutes that they hope to be able to use part of the ARRA money (about $7,000) for SRBI within the District since they hadn’t budgeted for it. It is also mentioned in the Minutes that the District would be tapping into the schools that have been using their modified SRBI programs for their resources and input.

      • sonic

        Abe,
        Do you really expect anybody to believe you? The only thing they are leading in is incompetence. Did you read the CREC report? Either you are working in central office or are one of their clueless followers. The ones that spy on their peers and report back to headquarters.

  • Autism

    I would like Central Office to explain what information is taken into account when writing the grant they will be presenting to the state regarding the IDEA stimulus funds. Is their any input from the community? Seems to me that before they go off writing this grant and presenting it to the State they should first find out what the needs of the community are so that the grant can target key areas. Also, my understanding is that the State had informed the districts by way of letter, the five targeted areas for IDEA stimulus funds which are: Transition, Autism, Parent Supports, Assistive Technology and Early Childhood. I’d be interested to know how Norwalk district intends to target these areas. Most importantly how is the community going to be included in the decision making process. I would suggest the district begin by COMMUNICATION, it still is goal number 3 on our improvement plan. This would be a perfect opportunity and good starting point.

    • NorwalkSpectator

      You might be interested in the Early Childhood Council that Norwalk has. They meet every two months to discuss providing early childhood education and their plan has been recognized by other towns as being ahead of the curve.

      If “Transition” means “school readiness”, the Council has already addressed it, and there are parental support groups already out there that are part of the Council’s work.

      Last year, there was a major gathering at NCC for the first meeting of the Council and it was covered by the newspapers. This year, they just had their meeting, so they’ll be meeting again in November, I believe.

      Mary Budrawich at the Board of Education could probably tell you more about the Council and what it provides.

  • resident

    I would suggest you bring this question to the board of education. Tying to get an answer from the special education department will not get you any answers. That department is inept, shameful, and an embarrassment. That CREC report is a lawyers dream come true.

  • http://www.parentsnotpoliticians.com Steve Colarossi

    Of course, we can’t overlook the recent report from Dan Cook indicating that the outside legal services budget was in deficit for the last school year in large part because of litigation involving special education services.
    Rather than pay for the services our kids need, the Board of Education would rather budget for lawyers to fight them.
    It just seems to me that our Board of Education should be assuring that kids get the services they need without requiring families to hire lawyers for that purpose. And, I can’t help but imagine the wealth of services that could be provided our kids with the hundreds of thousands of dollars that the Board of Education pays to fight the families who are only seeking what’s right for their special education kids.

  • Imagine

  • resident

    Steve,
    You are right on the money. You just earned my vote. The special ed supervisors are making lawyers very wealthy. The problem is they see parents as the enemy (even though we pay their salary). It is a fact that at least 3 out of the 5 supervisors were fired from other districts. The speech teachers pleaded with the board to fire one last year but it fell on deaf ears. The district that let that one go threw a party when she left (and didn’t invite her). We need a change. Norwalk deserves better, the children deserve better, and our special educators deserve to work in an environment free from the culture of fear.

  • Breaking

    Front page The Advocate

  • Cranking it Up!!!!!

    Lets see if we can pick up our step people.

  • Right the Wrongs
  • Grandma wants to know

    I am obviously out of the loop because it is apparent that something is going on, probably alot but for the life of me I cant understand it. Can anyone be so kind to explain it to a concerned grandparent and voter?

  • Grandma still doesnt understand.

    I attended tonights Special Education civil rights meeting.

    Honestly I am more confused and frustrated.

    I have a question, what the hell is going on?

    Can anyone answer my question?

    Why are all these adults working so hard and we keep losing ground.