More training.
More access.
More accountability.
Saying the above out loud only takes about three seconds.
However, it’s taken Christina Smith a decade to get that trio of directives successfully implemented in classrooms for West Virginia’s special-needs students.
“I never thought we’d still be talking about this in 2023,” said Smith, whose Astride Advocacy organization provides outreach for families of special-needs children who are mainstreamed in public schools across the state.
“And here we are now,” she said.
Smith founded the organization in response to her family’s circumstances at the time.
She’s the mother a now-grown child with Down syndrome who was educated in schools in her native Wood County.
As she advocated for her daughter, she quickly learned she could advocate for other moms and dads whose kids need a little help to achieve in school.
For Smith, “And here we are now,” refers to the latest news of still yet another classroom aide suspended following an incident involving a student with special needs.
Up until Monday, that particular staffer had a stellar name in the West Virginia Department of Education.
Jessica Grose, in fact, had been named by the department as its state service personnel employee of the year for 2023 – particularly for her work as a special education aide in Upshur County’s school district.
While neither the district nor the state DOE is publicly discussing the matter, Grose has been suspended and the her once-recognition has been withdrawn.
The incident in which Grose is alleged to have played a part occurred last week at French Creek Elementary School.
Add that to what is becoming a familiar roll call in the state, Smith said.
North-central West Virginia isn’t immune.
Similar incidents here are either under investigation or being prosecuted in Monongalia, Preston and Marion counties – all of which involve aides, teachers and administrators.
The problem, Smith said, is that schools, particularly in special education, are traditionally understaffed, across the board.
In 2022, 43,170 such students aged 6-21 received special education services in West Virginia, according to numbers from the state Department of Education, Smith said.
The conflict comes from a shortage of teachers who are not certified in the field, she said.
Classroom aides aren’t adequately trained either, Smith adds – not that there aren’t effective training programs available through the DOE.
It’s just that many individual districts mandate their own training and disciplinary procedures, she said.
And never mind the training, she said – some people simply lack the temperament to be in such classes in the first place.
Last March, with the help of the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council and the Disability Rights of West Virginia watchdog group, Smith compiled a report tracking the emotional and academic fortunes of special-needs students in the state.
Budgeting in increased salaries for aides is a starter to improve the current climate, she said.
Statewide accountability for teachers, aides and administrators must also be honed sharper, she said – particularly for those concerned employees suddenly cast into whistleblowers due to what they might witness.
“Retaliation is alive and well in West Virginia schools,” Smith said.
“And right now, the system is broken.”
