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District 28 officials say more staff training planned after parents describe gaps in special-education supports
Summary
District 28 special-education leaders told parents the city offers ongoing professional development but acknowledged schools must do more to train classroom staff, paraprofessionals and clinicians to implement IEPs and support students with autism and literacy needs.
District 28 special-education leaders told parents Tuesday night that the city provides ongoing professional development but acknowledged more work is needed at school sites to train teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals to implement Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
At a Community Education Council meeting chaired by Quintin (Quentin) — who opened the session — Jennifer Lozano Luna, chairperson for CPSC 3, said CSC offices provide professional development and share state updates with clinicians and teams, but that building-level professional learning is the responsibility of each school. “When it comes to the actual school…the school building would have to do that,” Lozano Luna said.
Andy Corso, who supports superintendents in the Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learners, told parents that the city is running a training effort focused on supporting autistic learners and that resources such as the Read&Write tool are being distributed to classrooms to support students with literacy difficulties. “We are not where we need to be,” Corso said. “We continue to offer a myriad of different ways for folks to get information, and for teachers to learn and develop.”
Corso and Lozano Luna described a mix of centrally provided PD and site-based responsibilities: CSCs and CPSC offices run training and coach clinicians, but principals and building administrators must implement and coordinate school-level training for teachers and paraprofessionals.
Parents on the call raised concerns about paraprofessionals being present but not actively engaged. Corso urged families to raise such concerns with the school first so the district can provide additional training and support, saying, “Every adult in that classroom should be contributing to the engagement and learning environment.”
District staff encouraged parents to make specific requests when they see gaps — for example, asking principals for targeted PD — and to take advantage of citywide tools that the district is promoting. The presentations and resource links will be made available on the council’s website for later review.
