Growing up with a sibling in the special education system and having a disability myself, I know that accommodations and extra support can make or break education for students with disabilities.
When legally mandated accommodations aren’t met, it can have disastrous effects not only on the student’s education, but how they show up in the world.
At the same time, it’s harder than ever for teachers to meet those accommodations when schools are understaffed, teachers are burnt out, and educator jobs have shifted from teaching to managing the behavior of 30 or more children.
So when I heard Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association Executive Director Amy Mizialko tell the Board of Education directors that Milwaukee Sign Language School was one of several schools dealing with teacher vacancies, I immediately wondered what implications it could have on the students with disabilities who attend.
The struggle of vacancies at Milwaukee Sign Language School isn’t unique to the school; but the school serves populations that don’t get served elsewhere, so I felt it was important to highlight those challenges.
I chose this story as my most memorable not only because it was important to me, but because it was important to readers. With nearly 300 likes, 136 shares and 100 comments on Facebook, readers had a lot to say.
Some wanted to see better pay and support for teachers. Others said the behavior of students was creating safety risks for teachers.
To my delight, a few even shared stories of their days at this school when it was called Washington Irving Elementary school.
These issues are complex, but this article starts by looking at the toll that teacher vacancies take on teachers and, ultimately, students.
Read the story here.
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