Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Special education director: needs rising, district expands training and supports for safety and compliance
Summary
Kathleen Johnson, the district special education director, told the board that special education caseloads and behavioral challenges have grown; she described cyclical ODE monitoring, plans for restraint/shield training, parent resource fairs, and staffing challenges for intensive programs.
Kathleen Johnson, the district's special education director, provided a detailed account of the special education program, compliance work and safety training the district is pursuing. She said the district is in cyclical monitoring by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and recalled a prior monitoring cycle in which 40 student files were submitted and reviewers identified four compliance issues that she successfully appealed.
"Compliance is a big part of my job... we submitted 40 different files for different students across the district. They came up with 4 compliance errors. I fought all of them in 1, so we had 0 compliance errors," Kathleen Johnson said, describing monitoring experience and the importance of accurate IEP documentation. She also said the district has about 20 students who can become physically violent at times and is scheduling professional development on "pad and shield" training and other safety protocols.
Johnson emphasized parent engagement and access to resources, noting plans for an IEP night and a resource fair for families of students with autism. She said many newly identified high‑need students are move‑ins this year and that staffing and space constraints make meeting needs more difficult in a small district. Board members asked how placement and diploma determinations are made; Johnson explained those are team decisions and described a range of possible diplomas (honors, regular, modified, extended, certificate of attendance).
