Senators press nominee Rivera on class-size caps and compensating missed special-education therapies

Senadora María Lourdes Santiago used her turn on May 17 to press the nominee for the Department of Education on classroom caps and the backlog in special-education services created during the pandemic.

Santiago noted what she described as a maximum of 30 students per classroom and argued that, with an allegedly high share of students receiving special-education services, that cap makes individualized instruction untenable. "Treinta estudiantes es de salida antipedagógico... en un país en que el treinta y siete por ciento de los niños y niñas están en educación especial," the senator said, framing the concern as both pedagogical and humanitarian.

Rivera replied that she has already signaled willingness to reevaluate the circulars and directives that set class sizes but could not announce a new numeric cap without consulting data: "No le puedo venir a decir que de treinta vamos a bajar a veinticinco, yo tengo que sentarme, analizar, sentarme con los equipos de trabajo." She also committed that missed therapies during the pandemic would be compensated: "Que ese tiempo se le va a compensar, senador."

On placements, Rivera emphasized returning students to the "least restrictive environment" and increasing delivery of therapies inside schools where feasible, and she said she would consult regional educational facilitators and the interim secretary to assemble the data necessary for policy changes.

The committee did not adopt immediate class-size reforms during the hearing; Rivera’s responses were framed as commitments to analyze evidence and coordinate with regional staff should she be confirmed.