MCPS special education director proposes 3-year expansion plan after independent audit

Dr. Tony Walker, director of Special Education for Montgomery County Public Schools, presented a multi-year plan the board said is intended to increase instructional support and improve state pass rates for students with disabilities.

Walker told the board the plan starts with foundational work in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process and intends to expand co‑teaching and resource-room options so teachers can provide more targeted, small-group instruction. "Our vision is to increase the performance of students with disabilities to master foundational and grade-level skills to meet or exceed state accreditation pass rates," Walker said.

The presentation outlined a phased, three‑year schedule that targets middle schools first because, Walker said, middle schools "test the most out of all three levels" while having less instructional time for reading and math. As described to the board, the division wants to add 10 special‑education teacher positions at the middle‑school level to allow full‑day co‑teaching across core subjects rather than the current minute‑based coverage model.

Walker also proposed creating additional resource classrooms across the division. Each proposed resource room would be staffed with one special‑education teacher, two paraprofessionals and a registered behavioral technician (RBT) to provide small‑group instruction and behavioral supports. For 2026–27 he asked the board to establish two resource rooms each at Blacksburg Middle School and Christiansburg Middle School and one at Auburn Middle School; he also described planned elementary resource rooms based on this school year’s trends.

Walker summarized an independent audit conducted by Dr. Alicia Tate that reviewed staffing, professional development and the special‑education continuum. The audit validated several internal concerns: administrators and teachers reported inconsistent co‑teaching practice, uneven caseloads across schools and a need for more ongoing professional development in co‑teaching, reading instruction and behavior supports. The audit also recommended expanding the division continuum and improving shared ownership of inclusion practices.

Walker said the division already is acting on some findings: additional teachers have been assigned this year to reduce high caseloads at selected schools, a BCBA (board‑certified behavior analyst) training series is under way, and the division has revised interview materials and handbooks. Walker told the board his office will monitor eligibility timelines, IEP development and progress‑monitoring weekly and will coordinate instructional walks with curriculum staff to check implementation.

Board members pressed Walker on details. Dr. Ed Rountree asked whether the division had audited current staffing use; Walker said his office was re‑examining lead special‑education teacher roles and staffing allocations and would share results with the superintendent. Board member Ms. Purcell asked whether proposed resource rooms were already included in the superintendent’s budget; Walker said the 10 middle‑school teacher positions were in the budget the board would consider later in the meeting.

Several board members emphasized the link between discipline and academic outcomes. Walker said the plan includes Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implemented with fidelity, better use of functional behavior assessments, return‑to‑school catch‑up plans after suspensions, and more coordinated wraparound services. He said the IEP team would drive placement decisions and that progress monitoring would be central to measuring impact.

Walker described other proposed division‑level programs, including a pre‑K–2 and a 3–5 hearing‑impairment classroom to reduce out‑of‑district placements for students with significant hearing needs, and two division special‑education classrooms designed to serve students requiring intensive behavioral intervention. Staffing for those division classrooms, as presented, would include a teacher with behavioral expertise, two RBTs, a paraprofessional and BCBA support.

Board members asked for public availability of Dr. Tate’s audit; Walker and Superintendent Dr. Bridal said they could make the report available as a PDF and post it with meeting materials. Multiple trustees urged the administration to translate the plan into a clear, division‑wide implementation schedule showing timelines, monitoring milestones and how discipline and mental‑health supports will align with instructional interventions.

The presentation concluded with board members requesting regular updates and clearer metrics so trustees could track whether new positions and resource rooms produced the intended gains in instruction and reductions in disciplinary referrals.

Ending

Walker told the board the plan is fluid and may take more than three years depending on student needs and available funding. He said his office will return with staffing analyses, implementation timelines and monitoring metrics as the division moves from proposal to action.