The Special Education PTO has two meetings scheduled with Special Services Director Pat Barker. The purpose of our first meeting is to better understand our negotiations, and eventual contract, with the ERESC, the body that will be hiring paraprofessionals for our district. This first meeting will take place on Thursday, April 15, 2010.

Place: Central Office Meeting Room, 525 Academy Street
Time: 7:30 to 9:00.

On July 1, 2010 all the 75+ paraprofessionals employed by the South Orange/Maplewood school district will lose their jobs.

The positions will be outsourced. If current paras wish to apply for these positions, they will be required to accept significantly reduced pay, and will receive no health benefits.

Please join the Special Education parents in a peaceful protest of this decision. Wednesday, March 31st, from 6:15-7:15, on the sidewalk outside of the BOE Building, 525 Academy St., Maplewood.

We want the Board of School Estimate, the Board of Education and the community at large to know that:
• we are disappointed that the budget cuts have fallen
disproportionately on special education.
• outsourcing the paraprofessionals is a decision that will
negatively impact many classified students as well as many general education students and teachers.
• we remain deeply concerned that outsourcing these positions
will result in aides in the classroom who do not have the experience and extensive training needed to handle the complex issues that special education children face, and this will affect the quality of education for ALL of our children.
• many people in our community care deeply about special
education.
• we support our paraprofessionals and remain grateful for their
many skills and exceptional dedication to our kids.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR PARAS
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

JOIN US Р6:15-7:15 – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31
525 Academy Street

There is an important Special Ed PTO meeting this evening, at which Brian Osborne and Pat Barker (head of Special Services) will speak and field questions. As our Clinton liaison, Jenny Lindstrom not only reports to you all of the goings-on at these meetings but also brings your questions, concerns, ideas to that forum. Please contact Jenny if you have have any questions.

The meeting will be held at the Board of Education building on Academy St at 7:30pm.

We are pleased to announce that Jenny Lindstrom is our liaison to the South Orange Maplewood Special Education Parent Teacher Organization. The Special Ed PTO provides parents with the tools and information they need to work collaboratively with the school district and to be effective advocates for their children. Jenny ‘s role is to be a resource for all Clinton parents who want to know more about special education and to keep communication lines open between the Clinton School PTA and the Special Ed PTO. Please check out our new Special Ed page on this site and/or contact her to learn more. Thanks, Jenny!