Charleston, WV: Teachers want fewer SPED kids in classrooms

June 6, 2017, Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail: Teachers’ union opposes proposed WV special education policy change http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-education/20170606/teachers-union-opposes-proposed-wv-special-education-policy-change The American Federation of Teachers’ West Virginia branch is opposing a proposed statewide limitation that no more than half of individual general education classrooms in core subjects could consist of students receiving specially designed instruction for disabilities. Christine Campbell, president of the school employees union, said she wants 30 percent to be the maximum allowed proportion of those students before county public school systems would be required to provide support staff. … Beck said that when monitors observed classrooms, they sometimes saw much more than the recommended 30 percent. She said monitors had seen up to a 75 percent proportion in “co-taught” classrooms, which have two teachers.