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Special-education leaders ask board to back inclusion push, add two administrators
Summary
District special-education leaders told the board they are organizing around an inclusion culture, seeking parent steering committees and two additional central-office administrators to sustain services during a coming reconfiguration.
Special-education leaders with Alpine School District on Tuesday asked the Board of Education to champion an inclusive culture and approve two temporary administrative positions to keep services stable during an upcoming district reconfiguration.
The director of special education told the board the department is using a rubric and a district book study to build consistency in practices and to “create a learning environment where students that have specific learning disabilities… have the opportunity to find success in a way that is as close to their non disabled peers.” She said the work includes steering committees at the local level, stronger alignment of services, expanded professional learning and a renewed focus on compliance.
Leaders described the department’s mission as identifying students’ needs and providing “meaningful educational benefit.” They urged board members to “individually champion inclusive culture,” prioritize stability during the transition and “invest in capacity building.” The presenter repeated a department refrain: “Know better, do better.”
The special-education leader said the department currently has five central-office administrators supporting special education across the district and asked the board to consider adding two additional administrators “in both the preparation for the transition and also to help us thrive in what we’re doing right now.” The presenter said the district is the largest in the state and that the department serves “close to 13,000 students.”
Officials also noted a staffing metric the department is using to argue for more capacity: the presenter said Alpine’s administrative staff expense per student was about “$41” while the state average was about “$81” per student for administrative staffing. The presenter asked the board to consider those comparisons when weighing additional hires.
Board members thanked the team for the briefing. No formal board action on new hires was taken at the meeting; the request was presented for board consideration and follow-up by the superintendent and human resources staff.
The presentation emphasized three separate categories of activity: (1) discussion and planning — including a rubric and book study the department is using to align practice; (2) direction/assignments — the department requested board members champion inclusion and provide stability during the transition; and (3) formal action requested — the department asked the board to consider two additional administrators for the special-education unit, but no motion or vote occurred.
The department said it will continue outreach to parents via proposed steering committees intended to give families direct access to planning and decision-making for special-education services. The presenter said compliance infrastructure must be maintained throughout the transition and requested the board’s support to ensure steady staffing and professional development.
