Proposed funding cuts by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board could affect Centretown schools more drastically than others in the city because of high numbers of students learning English as a second language.
Faced with a deficit next year, the city’s largest school board proposed a $14-million budget cut in the coming fiscal year, including cuts to special needs programs and staffing. Final decisions about the cuts have yet to be made.
The board’s chair, Cathy Curry, says cuts are being made in areas where “overspending has occurred.”
“Because of the boards inclusive special education policy there has been a decrease in the demand for special education programming and support outside of the classroom. Needs are being met within the class and the number of students requiring special education is not increasing,” said Currie.
Cuts to special needs programs potentially affect students with learning disabilities, language and speech problems, behavioral disorders, as well as gifted students. Students who require special education support must be identified through a series of assessments. If a learning disability or style is identified upon completion of the appropriate assessments students receive individual learning programs to address specific learning needs.
According to Ruth Elias, a Learning Resource Teacher at Glashan Public Elementary, this standardized testing system presents a problem to students who have difficulty speaking English.
“We have a very large ESL enrollment because we serve Centretown,” says Elias. “These students are typically not even assessed because they don’t have the language to complete the tests, so often, they might slip through the cracks.”
Being situated in the core of the city, Centretown schools have relatively high populations of ESL students. The average ESL enrollment for Ontario is 4.9 per cent, but most schools in Ottawa’s core have over 25 per cent.
Because such a high number of students attending Centretown schools are unable to complete tests necessary for qualifying for special education, numbers suggesting demands are diminishing could be skewed.
Elias says Glashan and other schools in the neighbourhood are straying slightly from the board policy, which is based on the idea that students should be kept in the regular classroom setting as much as possible.
“They take a completely inclusive approach to special education,” says Elias. “It is fantastic, but it can be problematic for ESL students who do not have a foundation, so we try to incorporate the board policy while addressing the language barrier and have developed a kind of bridging program.”
Elias is the only full-time staff member devoted to special education at Glashan. She says she helps to bridge students by providing support outside of the classroom; however, this approach might be less feasible with cuts to special education.
Elias is hopeful that the inclusive approach to special education proves successful and is confident that the board is making responsible decisions.
“Nobody likes cuts, but the bottom line is, something has got to give. It is unfortunate, but it is the students with special needs who always feel it the most,” says Elias. “That is the nature of the beast.”