Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioner says special-education recruitment ongoing after court ruling; department moves SPED roles to local payroll
Summary
Following a recent Supreme Court ruling in a special-education case referenced at the hearing, department leaders said they are recruiting special-education staff, moving critical SPED positions to local funding and monitoring potential service shortfalls.
Senators asked the Department of Education about staffing and legal compliance following a Supreme Court ruling in a special-education case referenced in the hearing transcript (identified in testimony as AJT v. AussieAussieO).
Commissioner Deionne Wells Hedrington told lawmakers the department is “in the process of transitioning some of those critical SPED positions onto local” funding to preserve specialized services for students. “In terms of vacancies around special education, the HR division is constantly recruiting and we know the importance of having those individuals available and we will continue our efforts to fill any vacancies that we may have,” she said.
Wells said the department shares lawmakers’ concerns and emphasized recruitment and retention efforts to avoid litigation or service disruptions. A senator explicitly asked for steady recruiting over the summer to prevent lawsuits related to inadequate services; Wells affirmed the department’s continuing recruitment effort.
The transcript included a reference to a post-audit contract for telephone services and other operational items on which senators sought clarity, but the special-education exchange focused on staffing continuity, local funding of SPED positions and ongoing recruitment rather than a new policy change.
No formal committee action resulted from the exchange; committee members asked the department to continue reporting on SPED staffing and recruitment progress.
