With Proposed Budget, Special Education Concerns Renewed

In what may be shaping up to be a replay of, several local parents are taking issue with a series of changes to the program proposed in the Board of Education's 2012-2013 budget.

Those concerns can be expected to come to a head at tonight' BoE meeting, scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Annex. 

A lettered circulated by email on February 7 to local news organizations and parents identified several elements of Dr. Cronin's plans for the district, including the elimination of a school psychologist position, two social worker positions, and up to six special education teachers.

Claiming that the cuts will have a significant impact on the lives of special needs students in the district, the writer argues:

"Get real folks! Nobody gets more for less! You get less for less! There are more struggling families than ever before, even in North Haven. Therefore, there are more struggling, vulnerable and needy students than ever before. If we won’t provide for the neediest children in our schools, then who will? If we don’t take care of our own, then who will?"

Cronin may be compelled to respond to these assertions during the public comment section of tomorrow's meeting. The letter ends with the call to action: "Stand Up For Our Kids! Get Involved, Get Mad and Get Loud!!...Your Child and Mine Deserve Nothing Less!!" [sic]. 

So far, response from residents to the charges have been mixed.

One commenter on a related post on the North Haven Way echoed the sentiments of the emailer, saying, "Yeah and [Cronin's] only coming in with a low budget request too! Stand up for your kids. Tell him our kids deserve more than 1 and 2 percent each year!"

Others urged a more measured take on the town's education system.

"If you want more staff and more services you need to fight for more taxes," said one commenter. "Right now our schools are way under state average for computers and the only reason we have started to turn over old textbooks is because Dr. Cronin has made it a priority for the first time in over a decade. We need efficiency in special ed and we need more resources for our general population so they will have college and work ready skills."

The Superintendent is not the only one urging the reallocation of special education resources in North Haven's schools. 

The report from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges most recent accreditation visit to North Haven Middle School recommends that administrators "investigate reallocation of resources and special education case load numbers for equity among and between teams."

Also worth noting is Cronin's January 20 statement to parents about the 2012-2013 budget, where he said of potential district reforms:

"Developing a comprehensive, responsible school budget that will allow North Haven to maintain its standing as a strong school system is essential, but not easy.  It requires us to closely examine which programs are delivering the kinds of student results we are seeking, and make certain they remain in place.  If there are other programs and services we believe have the capability to enhance the school experience for everyone, we need to introduce these gradually and evaluate their impact."

What are your thoughts on the email? Will you be attending tonight's BoE meeting? How can we improve North Haven's schools without breaking the bank?