Special education programs saved from OCDSB cuts

Scaling back — a little bit: While the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board plans to phase out alternative schools and implement boundary changes, it’s walking back plans to scrap its special needs classes. 

The rather surprising reversal came during an OCDSB committee meeting of a whole on Tuesday. The result was 11-1, with only board chair Lynn Scott voting in favour. 

Background: The board already decided to save 13 special education classes, but was going to chop another 26. Classes saved included the Gifted Program – Primary, Language Learning Disability Program and Learning Disabilities Specialized Intervention Program. 

“We are all aware that special education is overspent in our district and some of that is a result of the number of specialized program classes we have," said Kate Stoudt, the superintendent who oversees special education, told trustees Tuesday.

• "It doesn't mean we don't all want to spend the money in this way. The part we have to evaluate is [whether] we are spending the money in the best way we possibly can."

Trustee Lyra Evans said she was happy with the reversal. 

• “Special education students are among our highest-need group of students. They are the group that is often least able to advocate on their own behalf and they are the group that is most likely to be struggling at the back of the classroom if there is not adequate support," Evans told the CBC. 

Other programs will still be cut 

While parents are celebrating keeping special education classes intact, there are still a lot of concerns over the proposed boundary changes and, more importantly, the removal of alternative schools, which many say is a lifeline for their children. 

Lived experience: In a letter sent to the Ottawa Lookout, Alex Beech, who benefited from alternative programs when she was in school, shared reasons why she thinks it should stay intact. 

“In Grades 7 and 8, I attended Summit Alternative School, and there isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t reflect on that incredible experience. As someone who had struggled with academics for years, Summit was the breath of fresh air I so desperately needed,” she said. 

• “I still vividly remember the projects and lessons that brought learning to life. I learned about the stock market through a mock exchange. I explored math and physics by launching Barbies out of windows with rubber bands. I made lentil soup during a class field trip to a food shelter. I remember every history lesson because our teacher would dress up and act out key historical figures.“

Beech then went on to traditional high school — which she calls “the most difficult year of my education” — and then transferred to online school, where she feared things would only get worse. But the opposite happened. 

• ”I discovered I wasn’t a ‘bad student’ — I just needed the right environment. For the first time, I could focus. I began to flourish. I found my passion for the arts and for animation. When I got the email saying I’d made the honour roll, my mother cried,” said Beech. “We had never imagined seeing the words ‘honour roll’ associated with my name.”

OCDSB on the defence: While these cuts are only for the elementary program, Beech said she understands the need for education that fits a student's individualized needs. 

The OCDSB, on the other hand, says it’s looking to create “community-based education” for all students. Director of Education Pino Buffone said all students deserve equity across the system, but also noted budgets play a factor. 

“Part of what we’re looking to do in the Elementary Program Review is address some of our ongoing, structural deficits. That’s part of what has been brought to us as a concern from the (Ministry of Education) in our financial investigation,” said Buffone, according to CTV. 

• “Although these processes don’t impact this current budgetary process for next year, it’s for the year afterwards, we do understand that we’ve got to work within reasonable resources – be they human material or fiscal.”

What happens next: Trustees will finalize the Elementary Program Review next Tuesday. That includes plans to change the grade structures at 18 schools across the city. Some that are currently Grades 6 to 8 will switch to Kindergarten to Grade 8. Others will see the reverse. The boundary changes will impact dozens of schools and require about 1,500 more students than usual to move educational facilities. 

But the board did vote in favour of grandfathering students who are eligible — as long as the program exists, there are spaces available and the exemption does not affect the viability of programs at both the receiving school and the sending school, reported the Ottawa Citizen.