Small Schools Aren't Good Enough

I have been reflecting on the recent CES Fall Forum in Denver. The overarching theme that I came away with was the inequity that still exists in small schools affiliated with the small school movement concerning English language learners or special education students.

In my critical friends conversation we discussed the question: What school design practices will ensure a continuum or range of services for children with special education needs and English Language Learner needs? I wanted to dig into this topic because of the many stories that I had been reading about how small schools were not obligated to provide services to these students in New York.

Our small group of 5 was a diverse group of special education teachers: June from Boston; Leanne, Lauren, and Heather from Lake Washington; Anita from Quest in Humble, Texas. June is the director of services for a small school. She is in charge of 70 students with either ELL or Special Ed needs. Anita is a Special Education Interventionist for a population of about 17 in middle school to high school. The three women from Lake Washington were special education content specialists and were planning for their school being converted into a smaller school. It seemed that all of these women came to the conversation to hear about what other programs looked like. They wanted to talk about their program and hear about how other small schools give services to this diverse population.

When I spoke about my school, Capital City Public Charter School in DC, the teachers were in awe. How can there be enough money to have an inclusion teacher for 13 students in 7th and 8th grade? How is there an hour planning time set aside each day? How do you get your teachers to differentiate their lessons?

I didn't have all the answers because a lot of things like scheduling and budgeting is done without my knowledge. But I do know that we have two teachers in each classroom at all times. I am the third teacher in Math and Humanities. It is a well oiled machined, as some say. I am in a great position. My students are in a better position. There is almost no way to fall through the cracks in a system like this. How do we get other Coalition schools, or any other school for that matter do what we do?

Do we need mandated special ed and ELL services? That isn't really what CES is about. Who has the answers?