Knox County Schools is launching a new special education strategic plan, aiming to set a new tone and path forward for students. Parents, who have been awaiting the change for years, are hoping it will bring them the results they've been asking for.
The new plan comes after years of community ire and lawsuits have shaped the narrative around special education in KCS. Leaders resigned, families left KCS and teacher shortages added to what parents said was an inconsistent and unsatisfactory experience for students.
Parents have been looking to flip the script for years, and this is the culmination of that work. It kicked off years ago with a task force designed to address concerns, and it has led to KCS taking a real look inward to improve its special
education services.
District leaders will launch Enhancing Performance, Accountability, Collaboration and Transitions through Individualized Education Plans – "The PACT" – with a Sept. 10 presentation to the school board.
An early presentation showed KCS wants:
- Teachers to be able to confidently deliver inclusive instruction
- Students to advance in math and English at the same rate as general education students
- Families to be well-informed and active in their child's education
- Students to have actionable individualized education plans
- Students to be equipped to succeed after graduation
Superintendent Jon Rysewyk is optimistic this plan will change KCS for the better. But it's going to take some work to get there.
"What got us here wasn't what was going to take us to the next level," he said. "I think this plan is saying we want the same thing (as parents). It'll make us better, too. We don't always have all the answers either, but we're going to have to figure that out as a team."
Knox County parents unsure new plan will work
For families who have faced constant resistance from KCS, these goals sound great, but actions will speak louder than words.
"Knox County has never failed to produce a great presentation," parent Alexis Rhodes, whose elementary-aged son has autism and dyslexia, told Knox News. "But they have failed every single time at making that presentation get to where it needs to."
Sandy Bush hasn't seen a drastic change for her 14-year-old son with medical needs in the years there's been an increased awareness around special education in KCS.
"If you're looking at the day-to-day for us, nothing is different at all," Bush told Knox News.
Shannon Efteland, who has one child with Down syndrome and another with autism and learning disabilities, told Knox News she's looking for administrators to keep themselves accountable after the plan's launch.
"There could be some sort of measurable metric for student success, for family engagement, for how it's actually working to make things easier for teachers and students to get what they need," Efteland said.
'Culture of resistance' needs eradicating, parents say
There's been a culture problem at KCS when it comes to special education, administrators and families say. Bush said she doesn't believe the district sees her as the expert on her own son.
"I feel like sometimes it's done on purpose. They know that we're tired and we're burned out," Bush said. "They count on you giving up."
And KCS makes it extremely difficult for parents to get what they need for their children. Parents have consistently said they don't understand why there's a reluctance.
"Families should not have to learn the secret language of special education in order to be engaged in it," Efteland explained. "They shouldn't have to use exactly the right words to get what their student needs. They should be able to go in and say, 'My student needs this support' and have someone translate it for them. They shouldn't have to hire someone."
Efteland has done everything possible for both of her children and now helps other families navigate special education in KCS, attending IEP meetings with parents to help "translate" education jargon.
At the end of the day, parents like Bush, Efteland and Rhodes want to see true collaboration between families and the district. And for everyone to come to the table in good faith.
"It's almost like a punitive model. Just trust people, believe them until they show you. Then you do, I think, get labeled as a problem parent when you're doing nothing but making sure they do what they're supposed to do," Bush said.
Teachers and support staff are backbone of special education
The face of special education is support staff and teachers who care for children each day. Parents know this and want to continue supporting them as the new plan gets underway.
"These teachers are really pouring their heart into these students. They're not there for the money. They're not there for the fame. They're there because they care," Efteland said.
Efteland's hope is that teachers aren't given more to do under the new plan − they already do enough.
Superintendent Jon Rysewyk wants to flip the script
Rysewyk says he hears these concerns. And he wants to address them.
"It is such a complex onion. I know I've been frustrated a lot over the last couple of years to go, 'Let's just boil this thing down and let's start making a difference,'" he told Knox News in August.
Rysewyk wants to build back that trust with families.
"I totally agree when people say, 'Trust is eroded' and they have their interpretations of how the culture's been," he said. "That'll be a big part of it: really, really understanding parents as advocates and bringing them into that role. The parents are the best teacher and advocate for their student."
How to get involved
KCS initially planned to present this in August, but it was delayed to September after an action-packed summer, from book bans to sudden funding cuts from the Knox County Commission and state.
The school board will meet at 5 p.m. Sept. 10 at Summer Place, 500 W. Summit Hill Drive. To speak at the meeting, call 865-594-1623 or register with Vice Chair Anne Templeton prior to the start of the meeting.
Caitlyn Meisner is the K-12 education reporter for Knox News. Email tips and story ideas to caitlyn.meisner@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: As KCS rolls out special ed plan, parents are ready for change | Exclusive
