The rising tide of special education in Thurston County

Shannon Sankstone

The conference room could have been a large closet. The table seems ginormous, the chairs' elbow rests touching each other. Seven professionals, one after the other, offer tense reports of unanimous distaste: Her son is below grade level, he disrupts the class daily. Each one provides a box for the case manager to check.

Lucy (not her real name), sits alone at the far end. Silent. “It was traumatic,” she told me.

For many readers, this scenario is all too familiar: It is the typical Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting.

The Changing Faces of Our Schools

According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s, or OSPI’s, school district report cards, the number of students enrolled in the North Thurston, Olympia and Tumwater school districts declined by 1,035 students between 2018 and 2023.

However, the percentage of students with disabilities grew during that time, from 15.6% to 18.5%. For a comparison of the demographic change in North Thurston, Olympia and Tumwater, see the chart at the top of this story.

IEP meetings are torture

IEP meetings should not be this unpleasant. IEPs are legally binding documents written by an IEP team, which includes the parent. Regulated by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, nationally, and WAC 392-172A in Washington state, each school district must collaboratively craft and implement an IEP for every child with a disability that needs specially designed instruction (SDI).

The IEP includes the support and services an individual student needs to make meaningful progress in their education. For example, some students might have movement breaks as an accommodation and speech therapy to help with language deficits. 

Staffing shortages and funding gaps

As the percentage of students with disabilities grows, so do the challenges in teaching them. The teacher shortage is at a crisis level: The Washington state Professional Educators Standards Board lists special education as the most critical educator shortage area in Educational Service District 113 (which serves Olympia, North Thurston and Tumwater, among other districts).  

While special education teachers are desperately needed, the paraeducator shortage has a snowball effect. Paraeducators support classrooms, and special education teachers are unwilling to work without them.

“I can’t hire a special education teacher,” a principal in North Thurston Public Schools recently told me. “I have interviewed teachers, but when I tell them there are only two paraeducators for this high-needs classroom, they refuse the job.”

Resource allocation is also a major issue, and a legislative priority for OSPI, OSD, TSD, and NTPS. There is unanimous support to end the “funding cap,” which arbitrarily limits funding for special education to 16% of enrollment. According to NTPS, the district redirected $13.7 million to bridge the special education funding gap. OSD diverted $6.3 million, and TSD reallocated $2.2 million.

Diverse needs, limited options

The breadth of special education is another growing issue in Thurston County. A mother of an OSD student lamented, “It's disheartening to see a system that should be empowering all children to reach their potential, instead failing to meet the needs of those who don’t fit the typical mold.” Her son, a boisterous first grader, is twice exceptional - both intellectually gifted and diagnosed with a disability. ”Our son is meeting, and exceeding, grade-level expectations academically,” she said. “We’ve faced significant challenges navigating the special education system. Despite our repeated efforts, our son isn’t receiving the occupational therapy or social-emotional support that he needs due to his disability.”

On the other end of the spectrum, options are limited for parents of children whose disabilities severely impact their lives. Kay Anderson, a parent living in Thurston County, was forced to enroll her son in a school in Kansas because there was no school in Thurston County, or even Washington State, that could meet his developmental and education needs. “Although he is thriving, I cannot tell you how much I miss him,” she said.

The power of the parent

The current state of special education in the US, in Washington state, and in our local school districts is a quagmire of misunderstood legislation, poorly implemented policy and procedures, and a lack of funding. OSPI and school districts are fighting to improve the special education landscape, and parents need to join that fight. In my 14 years as a teacher, I have seen the power of the parent - in many respects, parents have more power to change the system than the people in charge of the system. 

Going forward, this column will be a source of strength and connection, a locus of knowledge and skills for readers. I’ll be writing on topics parents need to know and understand, leveraging my experience inside and outside the educational system to break down the barriers to “meaningful parent participation” in the IEP meeting… and in advocating for the systemic change that our children so desperately need and deserve. 

Homework?

Of course, I am giving homework. I still see myself as a teacher, after all. This week, I invite you to photocopy your child’s IEP or 504 Plan and mark it as a “working copy.” As you read, highlight words and phrases you don’t understand. Note what is agreeable to you and which items do not jive with you. Write every question you would like to ask members of the IEP team. When you are done, place the working copy and a pristine copy in a 3 ring binder. When you have done all that, pat yourself on the back: You have begun the process of meaningfully participating in your child’s education as a Parent Advocate. Welcome to the club!

Next Week

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This column introduces Shannon Sankstone, an advocate for families that include a student with special needs.