July 9, 2017, Insauga.com: Mississauga (Ontario, Canada): PDSB & Province Seek to Increase Support for Special Needs Students Schools in Peel Region have a diverse community of students and some of those students need extra support to get through the day. In its latest initiatives, the Peel District School Board (PDSB) is offering its support to those who directly support students with special needs. Most of the PDSB's 2017-2018 operating budget of nearly $1.9 billion is allocated to fixed costs, such as maintenance and busing. Within the budget, though, there's $15.3 million of local priorities funding. The board will use that money to add more staff, in consultation with groups of current employees. About half, or $7.5 million, of the local priorities funding will be dedicated to new initiatives. Among them is a plan to hire 70 new teaching assistants (TAs) and 31 new long-term occasional (LTO) TAs. ...
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.