DES MOINES — A program that allows special education professionals to help families navigate services for students with disabilities will continue to expand in Iowa after the Iowa Department of Education recently announced it would not be renewing its contracts with individual educational institutions. It will no longer be operated by the state's nine regional education agencies.
The state Department of Education informed AEA leaders in a Jan. 22 email that the state's contract and grant to AEA to operate the Family Educator Partner Program will be terminated at the end of June.
In this program, AEA coordinators provide families and educators with support, information, and resources about special education services available to students with disabilities and their families in Iowa, at no cost to families.
A Jan. 22 email from Barbara Guy, director of special education for the Iowa Department of Education, did not say why the state was discontinuing its partnership with AEA on the program.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, press secretary, said the state's separation from AEA regarding the Family Educator Partners program is due to a conflict of interest, and that the program's staff are also AEA employees, and the support provided. He said this was due to inconsistency and confusion regarding education. Roles and responsibilities identified in the 2014 report.
“AEA Advocates help resolve issues and disagreements between parents who believe their child's educational needs are not being met and the AEA or school district providing the services. Family Advocates “This creates a conflict of interest as they are the same AEA employees who serve students and help the district meet federal requirements,” Reynolds Schools spokesperson Colin Crompton told the Gazette. said in an email.
Crompton said the province is considering partnering with an independent third party to run the program.
The state's decision to end its partnership with AEA in the Family Educator Partners program comes after Reynolds proposed a review of how Iowa's AEA operates and is funded. Ms. Guy's email to the AEA comes 12 days after Ms. Reynolds introduced her bill and three days after she wrote an open letter to Iowans advocating her proposal. It has been sent.
Crompton said Reynolds' AEA reform proposal has “nothing to do” with the state's decision to part ways with the AEA on the Family Educator Partner Program.
“Effective partnerships between families, educators, and community health care providers are essential to supporting the success of all students with disabilities across Iowa,” Crompton said. “Regardless of where in the AEA they live, all families are entitled to consistent services and high levels of advocacy support. However, that is not the experience that every family across Iowa has had.”
After initial reaction, Reynolds' proposal received significant revisions, and state lawmakers in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House have proposed their own separate proposals for AEA reform.
According to Dr. Maria Cashman, Associate Chief Administrator of Grant Wood AEA and Principal Administrator of Grant Wood AEA, the termination of the agreement with AEA in the Family Educator Partners Program is a major change for Cedar Rapids. It will impact an estimated 17 full-time equivalent staff across Iowa's nine AEAs, including two at the Grant Wood AEA in Iowa. Director of Special Education.
“Our AEA currently has two individuals working as family education partners. Each year, they bring together schools, families, and the AEA in difficult conversations about supporting children with special needs. We are focused on ensuring an unbiased voice and helping our families and school districts navigate special education procedures and laws,” Cashman said. said in a statement emailed to the Gazette. “This loss is significant for our families and partners, and has resulted in new and unexpected changes to our programs and services.”
Johnna Davis, family and educator partnership coordinator for Heartland Regional Education Agency in Johnston, estimated the measure would affect about 15 employees across the state's nine AEAs.
Davis said he was resigning from his position effective March 1 to pursue other career opportunities due to the move.
“I was heartbroken to say the least,” she said. “It felt like a dismantling power grab. … To be honest, I felt betrayed.”
Davis lives in Mingo and has two children with autism. For the past three years, she has worked as a liaison for Heartland AEA, working with families and school officials of students with disabilities to understand, address, and mediate conflicts and disagreements surrounding students' individualized education plans. doing.
An Individualized Education Plan is a legal document for students with special education needs. This program is created by a team of special education parents, educators, and experts.
“We work with families and school districts to build a cohesive model of IEP teams that help families become meaningful participants in the IEP process, provide educators with a parent perspective, and and make sure that parents' voices are heard,'' Davis said. He said.
Mr Davis said Mr Crompton's description of Family Educator Partners' work and the issues raised in the 2014 report was “misinformation”.
“We are not parent advocates,” Davis said. “We are very insistent that the IEP process be upheld and maintained with fidelity. … We are supporters of the IEP process. We are more like a family.”
The Gazette asked for information about how much it costs the state to operate the Family Educator Partners program and what funding sources are used. A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Education said the department is working to compile that information. As of late Wednesday afternoon, the Gazette had not yet received it.
The Gazette's Grace King contributed to this report.
Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com