More work for teachers approved by your union.
Dear ________,
Our students with disabilities need extra support at the best of times, but the disruption in learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased new needs. The DOE created Special Education Recovery Services (SERS) this school year to help you identify and address the learning gaps of your special education students.
The responsibility for closing those gaps typically falls on the classroom teacher. The purpose of this program is to provide these students with extra academic help while making sure that you do not have sole responsibility for addressing these increased needs.
We recognize that setting up your special education students with a plan to get this support takes time, so the UFT has negotiated time and compensation for the educators who do this extra work.
What are Special Education Recovery Services?
SERS are "specialized instruction and related services in addition to the services outlined in a student's IEP that are available to students with IEPs to close gaps in instruction brought on by disruption in learning due to the pandemic."
Here are the highlights:
- Will be delivered in small groups (six or fewer students) after school or during Saturday programs with transportation provided. Groups receiving services may include students without IEPs.
- Consistent with the flexibility available for academic recovery services, schools can offer blended and/or remote options for Special Education Recovery Services as long as parents — and, in the case of related service providers, supervisors — are included in the decision.
- Will address inadequate progress toward grade-level standards or annual goals or skill deficits
- Will be available beyond the fall based on assessments conducted throughout the fall and winter
Students with IEPs must receive specially designed instruction from a certified special education teacher for the amount of time specified on their individualized recovery plans. Where no licensed or certified special education teacher is available, general education teachers trained or willing to be trained in DOE- approved interventions may be hired to deliver SERS interventions or small-group content-area instruction.
How were students identified for Special Education Recovery Services?
-Students have been identified for Special Education Recovery Services through multiple measures, including the academic screeners of all students in October. They have been placed in priority groups according to need, with students in the highest priority group receiving services first.
-Priority Group 1 (No Progress): Individual recovery plans were developed by Nov. 1. SERS are expected to begin by Dec. 6.
-Priority Group 2 (Insufficient Progress): Individual recovery plans were developed by Nov. 5. SERS must begin as soon as possible, but no later than Dec. 13.
-Priority Group 3 (Progress Made as Anticipated): Individual recovery plans were developed by Nov. 15. Services must begin by no later than Jan. 15.
In District 75, Alternate Assessment students did not participate in the academic screeners. Instead they are being assessed via typical screeners such as Sandi/Fast.
What is the role of a special education case manager in this plan?
-Special education teachers and related service providers, when applicable, may serve as case managers. They are to be paid up to two hours of per-session pay (or the applicable hourly rate) per student to prepare an individualized Special Education Recovery Service notice for each student with an IEP and then add the information to SESIS.
-In order to receive the per-session compensation you deserve, the work on notices must be done outside your regular workday. It is up to you whether you do this work at school outside regular work hours or from home.
-We have worked to ensure that case managers should have a maximum caseload of 30 students. If for any reason a case manager has more than 30 students, the case manager will get help from other members of the IEP team in completing the work.
-Case managers should have completed conversations with families and finalized service plans for Priority 1 and 2 students at this point.
Who is responsible for managing these groups of students going forward?
The School Implementation Team will review and adjust the priority groups. Once the priority groups are established, the case managers or IEP teams will:
-Review the data collected and consider the different Special Education Recovery Services that would be appropriate for students.
-Make outreach to parents on behalf of the IEP team and discuss Special Education Recovery Services at IEP meetings if the due date is approaching or if the parent has requested an IEP meeting.
Develop a Special Education Recovery Services Notice using the template provided on SESIS.
-Continue to monitor students to confirm if they are making sufficient progress.
If you have any questions or concerns related to Special Education Recovery Services, please email us at SpecialEdRecovery@uft.org. Read our Special Education Recovery Service FAQ and check the special education guidance for the 2021-2 school year on the UFT website for more information.
Sincerely,
MaryJo Ginese, VP for Special Education
Mary Vaccaro, VP for Education
Which teachers have the time to do all this work? Every teacher I talk to all say the same thing. "I never worked this hard in my entire career." This year is insane!
ReplyDeleteThe DOE keeps dumping more and more on us and of course the UFT allows it. Honestly, who would want all this additional responsibility for the outdated rate of $54 per hour. How on earth can $54 an be our OT rate? I guess the UFT acknowledges by accepting this rate that teachers work 70 hours a week to allow for a per session rate of only $54. If the OT rate was done at a 40 hour week it would be $90 an hour which is the OT rate in many LI districts.
ReplyDeleteIt's disgusting to ask more of teachers and want to pay educators with master's degrees and 30 extra credits $54 an hour in NYC. I hope members are smart enough to say no thanks to the DOE.
I know I am.
@548
ReplyDeleteOr you do the bare minimum and be on your way.
"The responsibility for closing those gaps typically falls on the classroom teacher."
ReplyDeleteReally?
And what do the Special Ed teachers do?
@9:43 - special education teachers are not classroom teachers? Rhetorical question. They are.
ReplyDeleteUnity troll here. Just want to continue to dump ice water on the hopes that are building for an opposition victory in the election in the spring. I want my prediction on record early so I can gloat more obnoxiously when we romp again. (Or concede I was wrong, should that happen). First of all, MORE will never support a fusion candidate unless it's from MORE. Secondly, Mulgrew will lose a couple of points for various reasons. But the outcome will be Unity 79%, Solidarity 15%, and MORE 4%. My gut tells me Unity at 82%, but I'm erring on side of caution. Can't wait to see your hopes dashed yet again. It's like being a Yankee fan in the 50's.
ReplyDelete301 wrong, troll. things are already happening. you are truly zero help in fighting for a better union and better working conditions for your colleagues. your self centered pride is not impressive. your comments are repugnant and this is why Unity must go.
Delete79/15/4.
DeleteWell then this is 1955 50's Yankee fan.
ReplyDeleteYour response is flawed, James. You just said you're a Unity supporter. Your answer should have been. "Let's hope it's 1955!"
ReplyDeleteOh wait, I misread it. You left out a comma. Very good. Good response.
ReplyDeleteThe Unity guy has a point. MORE will do anything to avoid winning.
ReplyDeleteDisgraceful…it blows my mind…under Micheal Mulgrew’s’ tutelage….YOU CALL THIS A LABOR UNION?..
ReplyDeleteStop the spin and repeat cycle,..do your job!
FIGHT FOR NYC TEACHERS TO HAVE QUALITY OF LIFE.
The propaganda is so thick and many of the DAs help to “seed” it…it’s called group-think…there are perks with being in Unity’s favor.
From someone whose opinion doesn’t matter— a NYC teacher
This is all political rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteDeep down, politicians don’t care. It’s CYA. We all do it.
This isn’t a real job, guys.
Do what you can and be grateful we don’t have to meet sales numbers or paid on commission. Been there. Done that
@3:49 If I truly didn't care, I'd find another job. There's no way I can work with children and not care. That's abominable.
ReplyDelete