Could you share your take on ABA in AUSD’s SpEd programs?

Thank you for the question. I’m so happy to answer questions. An informed voter is a good voter.

Before responding to your question, I want to clarify that it has been about 10 years since I was a teacher in an actual classroom, and the classroom I worked in was very different from those at AUSD. I was a teacher for Seneca Family of Agencies in one of their Community Treatment Facilities, which was in a locked building located at the Mental Health Rehabilitative Facility as part of SFGH. The children we served were there for a variety of reasons, but most often for severe emotional and behavioral issues related to being a danger to themselves or others. The program was a partnership between SF Community Behavioral Health, Juvenile Justice, and Seneca. Very unusual, and very challenging, as is the case with Special Education circumstances, but we did not serve the Autism community due to the nature of the program we ran. All this to say, I might recommend reaching out to Megan Sweet, as well, who is also a former SpEd teacher on the candidates list.

I want to start by pointing out that, currently and according to many voices I have listened to, AUSD’s consistency of services when it comes to best practices in the classroom is not great. There are an array of set-ups ranging from Special Day classrooms for our mild-severe autism students, Counseling Enriched Classrooms for our students with behavioral and emotional needs, and a host of SpEd students in GenEd classrooms. And where ABA seems to be the practice is in the AUSD Bridge programs. That doesn’t mean it isn't used in the other classes where an IEP deems it to be used, but the Bridge is where it is the stated practice.

Bridge students are typically on the higher functioning end of the Autism Spectrum. They spend 80-90% of their time in GenEd classrooms, which speaks to a real opportunity for improvement, because our GenEd teachers are not typically trained in the best practices and approaches for supporting our SpEd students. Additionally, about 1/3 of our Special Education teachers are not credentialed, so we have room for improvement there as well. And knowing that this year- for the first time- the district is finally fully staffed for special education teachers, we have been presented with an opportunity to really focus on quality and ensure best practices are being used with our students.

Also - it is my understanding that this was the first year that SpEd staff, teachers and paraprofessionals were actually all in the “same” room together to discuss and collaborate. I would really like to see this happen more often so that our SpEd expertise can share, train, offer guidance and generally support one another in best practices, trends, innovations. I also have a hope that this can be extended to the broader AUSD system, as our Gen Ed teachers would definitely benefit. Once the communication increases and opportunities for collaboration ramp up, I think practices that are or aren't working will come to light. I have seen great strides made when lessons learned can be lifted up and shared via peer-to-peer exchanges.

It is also important to recognize that the current SpEd director and Superintendent have only been at AUSD for about a year and half. I think they are making progress already in that short time - and have dedicated attention to an area in AUSD that has been historically ignored. I am hoping we can keep the momentum and lines of communication open and positive so that the teachers and district feel supported and, in turn, the families and students also have their needs better met.

Last, I am not in a position to say whether ABA is the best practice for each student because needs are so varied and I am not an expert. But if I am lucky to be elected to the board, I plan to question the SpEd director and staff on their efforts, ask for reports to see if practices are actually the best practices, and speak with families who are often very much in the know of what is best for their children. I also plan to make sure the board keeps Special Education as a continued item on the board agenda at every meeting. We need a school board that will finally make Special Education a priority.

I encourage you to vote for the 3 candidates that you think will improve special education. When we improve the outcomes and services for our students furthest from the goal - it benefits all our students. If you haven't seen the forum that SpEd families put together to ask us candidates questions - it shows who is ready to lead on this issue. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO OF THE FORUM