Mukilteo special-ed teachers want smaller classes, workloads
Published 1:30 am Saturday, September 3, 2016
MUKILTEO — Special education teachers in the Mukilteo School District dressed in red T-shirts and read a statement at a meeting Friday saying more needs to be done to reduce class sizes and work loads.
The protest came just two days after members of the Mukilteo Education Association ratified a new, three-year contract.
Pam Lane, a member of the union’s Special Education Labor Management Committee representing middle school teachers, read the statement during a district-wide meeting of special education teachers.
“The district is disrespecting students and families by putting these children in overcrowded, unsafe and disruptive learning environments,” she said. That demoralizes staff, she said.
In an interview, Lane said she thought there are many parts of the new contract that are good, but minimal changes were made for special education, especially for staff involved in secondary-level education.
Lane said more help is needed with case management of special education students, such as those who spend time both in general education classrooms and getting special educational help.
Special education teachers “have no time to coach the general education teacher and find out if there’s any improvement in goals,” she said.
Dana Wiebe, president of the Mukilteo Education Association, said she didn’t know the special education teachers planned to make a statement at Friday’s meeting.
Wiebe said some progress was made in the contract on special education issues. For example, classes for students who have autism are limited to 12 pupils district-wide, a reduction of two students per classroom, she said.
The Mukilteo Education Association will continue to work on lowering class sizes and work loads, she said.
Andy Muntz, a spokesman for the Mukilteo School District, said the teachers group and the district made concessions on special education issues during the recent contract talks. “It’s a negotiation,” he said.
“It’s great we have passionate teachers,” Muntz said. “They really care about the students and what they’re doing.
“They’re good advocates for kids.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com
