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Washington Unified task force urges staffing, caseload caps and recruitment steps for special education services
Summary
District staff and a task force of special education professionals described rising caseloads, space shortages and recruiting challenges and urged the board to pursue caseload caps, more hires and site-level inclusion supports.
The Washington Unified School District Board of Education heard on April 10 an update from the Special Education Task Force that described rising special-education enrollments and widespread staffing pressures that district and task-force members said are affecting service delivery.
Task-force leaders and school-based providers urged the board to adopt clearer caseload limits, expand recruitment and retention strategies and boost site-level supports so staff can deliver timely evaluations, IEP minutes and therapy.
The task force, co‑ordinated by Assistant Superintendent Audrey Streak and Special Services Director Carla Salvo, reviewed data showing multi‑year increases in students receiving services and recommended immediate actions to reduce workload and ensure compliance with timelines. Task-force members said caseloads have risen across resource specialist programs, special day classes and speech-language caseloads, and that some classes have reached or exceeded recommended limits.
“We can't attract staff without caseload limits,” said Dinah Malkin, a speech and language…
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