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Teachers and SLPs Urge More Special‑Education Support as District Proposes New Coaching Model
Summary
Teachers, aides and speech‑language pathologists told the East Whittier City School District board that understaffing and rising student behavior problems are harming special‑education services; the district presented a plan to fund 10 intervention specialists and expand instructional coaches using ELOP funding, and the board approved separate administrative agenda items.
Teachers, instructional aides and speech‑language pathologists gave the East Whittier City School District Board of Education an urgent message during public comment: they are short‑staffed, facing increasing student behavioral incidents and need concrete, funded support.
“I come before you as a parent, a very concerned parent,” said Christine Rosales, who urged the board to be “fiscally responsible” and questioned district spending priorities and administrator pay while schools lack materials and staff. Multiple classroom teachers detailed physical aggression and daily incidents that leave staff emotionally and physically exhausted. “In the ESN classrooms, negative student behavior are at an all time high while conversely, staff morale is at an all time low,” said Brooke Peach, a special education teacher, describing bites, scratches and other aggressive behaviors that she said occur routinely.
Speech‑language pathologists pressed the board to reinstate a $500 annual stipend for maintaining the Certificate of Clinical Competence (the “C’s”), which the district removed this year.…
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