Special ed teachers’ workload increases

MELISSA Gardner gets to Knudson Middle School each day between 6 and 6:30 a.m. She leaves between 5:30 and 6 p.m. And she takes work home every weekend.

The Clark County School District special education teacher is, like many of her colleagues, overworked.

But now resource teachers like Gardner are facing an even heavier workload. After recent budget cuts, their caseloads will grow from a maximum of 22 students to 24.

Two extra cases may not seem like much, but teachers say it means more paperwork that takes them away from the classroom.

For each student in their caseload, special ed teachers must create an individualized education program — required by federal law — test them, monitor their progress and meet regularly with parents.

Resource educators, in particular, also teach classes of students with typically mild to moderate disabilities, many of whom mix in with the general education population.

“The additional paperwork, yeah it’s a concern and it’s going to load me down,” Gardner said. “But my bigger concern is how this is going to affect my ability to deliver instruction and services to kids. They need them and are required by law to get them.”

With fewer teachers needed in each school, it may be impossible to create another class as student numbers swell.

“There’s no conceivable way to bring down the resource class size number because we’re not going to get that additional teacher, because there aren’t any more bodies,” Gardner said. The district says that the

PAK-HARVEY