Albuquerque, NM: 20% of students in SPED; many teachers feel overworked

Sept 4, 2018, Albuquerque Journal: APS special education survey finds ‘very low’ employee morale https://www.abqjournal.com/1216552/aps-special-education-survey-finds-very-low-employee-morale.html While special education resources affect a large portion of Albuquerque Public Schools students – nearly one out of every five – many of the teachers and staff providing those services say they are feeling undervalued and overworked with “very low” morale. A 73-page survey report – commissioned by APS and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation union – details responses from 402 teachers and staff from special education departments across the district about their work lives. It’s a project that cost over $16,000, according to ATF President Ellen Bernstein, and had some revealing statistics, such as 45 percent of teachers and staff don’t feel APS’ special education department is an effectively managed and well-run department. … It’s not just too much paperwork that is impeding their work, the survey reports; “constant changes” in policies also make it hard for people to do their jobs well, according to 74 percent of responders. And it’s no secret from their supervisors, according to the survey, as 61 percent of the special education staff felt their immediate supervisor had a good understanding of that heavy workload. Only 33 percent felt those on the management and administrative level had a good grasp of the workload….