July 20, 2023, KVVU, Las Vegas, NV: “More things are being added to our plate”: Teachers upset over potential increase to special education class size https://www.fox5vegas.com/video/2023/07/20/more-things-are-being-added-our-plate-teachers-upset-over-potential-increase-special-education-class-size/
VIDEO: …I was tipped off by a CCSD special education teacher earlier this month about a potential increase in the size of her class. She was notified by the district she says, and in that notice, the district lays out potential increases to class sizes in each of eight special education programs within the district. …
VOICE OF A TEACHER: “They’re putting a Band-Aid over this problem by saying, okay you can teach 10 kids in your autism class now”
A shortage of special education teachers in the Clark County School District might mean more students per class and a bigger workload for those teachers.
TEACHER: “It pushes me to the limit. More things are being added to our plate.”
I talked to two special education teachers who wished to remain anonymous, they both told me increasing class sizes will hurt themselves and their students.
TEACHER: “That impacts how we teach. It impacts the students, how they learn.”
The teachers telling me, more students in those classrooms would push already overworked staff past their limits, along with their caseloads
TEACHER: “My mental health, the last school year, it took a dive. One of the factors was because I was over my caseload limit. It was stretching me thin.”
And for the students in the special education programs who need more individualized instruction than other kids, I’m told they’ll get less time in crucial one on one situations with their teachers….
One teacher tells me this issue is one of the reasons she came out Wednesday to protest higher wages. …
…It turns out there are over one hundred openings right now for special education teachers with dozens more openings for special education assistants.
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