Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CCAC urges continued staffing increases and directs parents to MSDE Blueprint on special education
Summary
The Anne Arundel County Citizens’ Coalition for Special Education (CCAC) thanked the board for supporting 155 special education positions and noted the county executive funded 28; the group reviewed its year of meetings and urged continued attention to staffing, transitions and MSDE’s ongoing Blueprint process.
The Citizens’ Coalition for Special Education (CCAC) reported to the Board of Education that county advocates continue to press for expanded special education staffing and services and directed families to the Maryland State Department of Education’s Blueprint work on special education.
The CCAC secretary (identified in the meeting as “secretary of the CCAC”) thanked the board for its support of a 155-position request for special education staffing and noted the county executive’s budget included funding for 28 positions. The speaker emphasized the need to continue increasing staff allocations to serve a growing number of students with disabilities and rising service needs.
Why it matters: CCAC’s advocacy centers on classroom supports, transitions, professional learning and consistent delivery of services. The group reviewed a calendar year of topics in its meetings, including transitions from elementary to middle and high school; assistive and occupational therapies; services for students with autism; legal rights and escalation processes for parents; and multi-tiered systems of support.
Details and resources: CCAC described its October resource fair that connected families with organizations including Kennedy Krieger, The Parents’ Place of Maryland and JiJi’s Playhouse. The coalition also summarized presentations from The Arc of Maryland and other partners on rights in special education and summarized MSDE’s Blueprint timeline and reports: an initial background report in December 2023, an interim report in July 2024, and a final report published in December 2024 with ongoing work continuing into 2025.
The CCAC encouraged families to review the MSDE Blueprint and to use the district and state resources on transitions, least restrictive environment, and evidence-based instruction. Board members received the CCAC report but did not take formal action during the meeting.
Ending: CCAC closed by thanking board members for their prior support and by asking the community to continue engagement on the issues raised.
