How do I effectively communicate to my regular education colleagues that sharing students (I teach middle school special education) is not an “us against them” situation? My regular education faculty tried to get their union to file a grievance against the special education faculty in my school because they have to carry out modifications and accommodations specified in the IEP.
They seldom show up at PPT meetings (I have a few regulars, but as usual, never those who complain the loudest) and don’t see the meetings as a chance to have input into the child’s ed plan and modifications. They resent special education meetings, kids, parents and teachers. I have been to my principal and special education administrator so many times I have lost count.
The frosting on the cake was them trying to file a grievance against implementing IEPs — fortunately their union representative told them they have to follow education plans and that they are legal documents. Any suggestions? I feel like I’ve been beat with a bat by the end of the week!
Claudia
Dear Claudia,
You seek guidance on how to gain acceptance from your regular education colleagues in working with you and your students with disabilities. Ultimately, the most important contributor to the collaboration that you are seeking is strong leadership from the school system’s administration, from the Superintendent down through the special education director and school principals.
Unfortunately, that appears to be lacking in your situation. At times, if concerned parents mobilize to seek more support for special education from the administration, this can lead to a more positive climate and to action by the administration to promote greater collaboration. Beyond this, your state department of education may also offer technical assistance to the school to help train the staff, including the regular educators, on the ways that effective collaboration can work and can benefit them, as well as on their legal obligations to support children with disabilities in their classrooms.
There are various books by educators on strategies to promote collaboration between special and regular educators, which may be of use to you in getting ideas for improving the relationships with the regular education staff. Sometimes, the regular educators may become more supportive, if they are able to see the ways that your involvement (and even the involvement of the kids with disabilities) can enhance their experience and that of their students, but this requires openness and the ability to share positive experiences with them.
Unfortunately, the problem you describe is not easily solved. It may also be useful for you to locate neighboring school districts where collaboration is more successful and seek advice from some of the staff in those schools that have had positive experiences. If you can identify others with positive experiences, it might be possible to either get staff from your school to observe the positive models in the other schools or to have educators from those programs provide some information to your school on how collaboration can work successfully.
Topic
Teaching & Instruction