The Department Needs to
Change at the “Top” in Order to Successfully Impact the “Bottom”
[For the entire Blog Message, CLICK HERE]
Dear
Colleagues,
Introduction
Last week
(September 20, 2018), Johnny W. Collett, the politically-appointed Assistant
Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), announced that his Office was open to
“Rethinking Special Education.”
Complete with a
press conference, and an accompanying statement on the OSERS website, the official
OSERS “Rethink” poster states:
OSERS
will rethink anything and everything to ensure that we are in the best position
to achieve our mission.
- Address deeply embedded and complex issues
- Question systems that do not facilitate the kind of improvement we know is necessary
- Confront structures that limit opportunities for individuals with disabilities
- Change policies and practices that put the needs of a system over the needs of the individual
- Challenge mindsets that appear intent on preserving the status quo
In analyzing his public statement, the
website promotion, and the public relations poster, the national reaction so
far—professionally and in the press—has been, “YAWN.”
This is mostly because there were no details
or specifics, no action plan, and no involvement of anyone else in the special
education “community.”
It was just Johnny.
_ _ _ _ _
But to his credit, the statement on the
OSERS website “announcing” this initiative states:
Rethinking special education will require an unwavering
commitment to address barriers that stand in the way of improving opportunities
and outcomes for each child, and to make needed changes at the federal, state,
and local levels. We must be willing to confront anything that does not
facilitate needed improvement. That includes structures that limit
opportunities for children with disabilities; practices that put the needs of
“the system” over the individual needs of a child; policies that, no matter how
well-intentioned, do not have the impact of improving outcomes for students; or
laws and regulations that constrain innovation. We cannot ignore the challenges
that students, parents, teachers and schools face.
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services is committed to confronting these—and any other issues—that stand in
the way of a child’s success. We will partner with parents and families,
individuals with disabilities—anyone and everyone who is focused on raising
expectations and improving outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
_ _ _ _ _
If Assistant Secretary Collett is really
serious about OSERS’ willingness to “rethink anything and everything,” it is
hard to believe (see below) that any longstanding staff in OSERS—and,
especially, its Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)—are terribly
enthused with the potential of the “looking glass” being shined on them.
Indeed, if the “Rethink” process begins. . .
as it should. . . by first looking at how OSERS and OSEP does business . . .
. . . then Secretary Collett is going to
have to directly assess the “deeply embedded and complex issues” that has
allowed his staff to enact “policies and practices that (have) put the needs of
(their) system over the needs of individuals with disabilities”. . .
. . . and he is going to have to “confront
(these) structures because they are limiting opportunities for
individuals with disabilities.”
You see, friends, the reality is that OSERS
and OSEP are run more by the employed staff—who are not political appointees,
and who retain their government positions from Administration to
Administration—than by the politically-appointed Secretaries and Assistant
Secretaries.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Why We Need a NEW OSEP Agenda
As so, in order to begin to “Rethink Special
Education,” Assistant Secretary Collett will need to lead by example. That is,
he must first comprehensively and objectively analyze the policies, practices,
and procedures at OSERS and OSEP, and how these are negatively impacting
special education services at the state, district, school, and classroom
levels.
This analysis is desperately needed. It is the first essential step toward improving,
integrating, and strengthening special education services, supports, and
strategies in this country.
And this is because OSEP’s current special
education agenda is flawed. It is rooted
in power and politics. It is not guided
by the “students-first” focus advocated by Assistant Secretary Collett.
In short: OSEP and special education services in this
country need a shake-up.
Indeed:
* OSEP has been run largely by same senior
staff. . . or senior-influenced staff. . . for too long. The Director of OSEP, like the OSERS
Assistant Secretary, is supposed to be a political appointee. And yet, the current Administration shows no
inclination as to even filling the OSEP Director’s spot. Thus, the current Acting Director of OSEP is
a staff person who has worked in OSEP for decades, and who appears largely
oriented toward maintaining the long oversight history and bureaucratic
practices of the Department.
* Many of OSEP’s systemic frameworks and
processes have never been field-tested or validated before they have been
introduced and advocated in the field. . . OSEP and some of its grantees are
literally “making it up as they go along.”
* Many of OSEP’s beliefs, ideas, and
approaches have become singularly entrenched . . . and this entrenchment has
created a “group-think” whereby OSEP rejects new or innovative approaches that
do not “fit its mold.”
* OSEP’s professional relationships (and
grant awards)—across the country—with universities, national associations,
“non-profit” Research & Development companies, and other “Thought Leaders”
are similarly entrenched. . .
* Which is why many of the same universities,
professors, and non-profits seem to consistently receive the largest and most
influential competitive and non-competitive grants. . . the same
individuals are on each other’s OSEP-funded Technical Assistance (TA) Center
Boards and Advisory Groups. . . and the same individuals keep presenting at the
same national conferences from year-to-year.
_ _ _ _ _
All of this has resulted in special
education decisions that have lost their transparency and objectivity; special
education discussions that are controlled by the need to be “politically
correct”; and special education training and practices that have lost their
innovative edge.
And this will not change unless, as
now advocated by Assistant Secretary Collett, a truly new Agenda is
crafted and implemented. . . an Agenda that recognizes the incestuous system
of the present and past, and that guts this system, replacing it with one
of objectivity and fairness, collaboration and innovation, shared
responsibility and leadership, and a focus on real student outcomes.
_ _ _ _ _
The remainder of this Blog provides specific
details in the following areas:
·
Examples
of how OSERS/OSEP has created and maintained an incestuous system among its
National TA Centers, the Directors of these Centers, and certain university and
non-profit Research and Development Center grantees. . .
. . . and how the special education units within each state’s department
of education are strongly “encouraged” to use (only) OSEP-funded (and “vetted”)
TA Centers for needed technical assistance.
·
What
Assistant Secretary Collett’s New Special Education Agenda should include,
starting with a recommended Statement of Philosophy and Purpose, and then
a series of specifically needed Organizational/ Systemic Directions and
Actions and needed Field-Based Practice Directions and Actions.
·
The
characteristics needed by the next OSEP Director (given that the current Acting
Director is a OSEP staff person who has been at OSEP for approximately 30
years).
[For the entire Blog Message, CLICK HERE]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Summary
Clearly, I applaud Assistant Secretary
Collett for his courage in authorizing and announcing the need to “Rethink
Special Education.”
But we need to hold him to his word. And, from my perspective, that means shining
the bright light of transparency on what OSERS and OSEP are doing to contribute
to students with disabilities’ successes, and what they are doing to create
barriers and, sometimes, to consciously block the progress that needs to be
made.
_ _ _ _ _
Please read the entire Blog message. If you agree with me, tweet Assistant
Secretary Collett at @JCollettOSERS, call his office at: 202-245-7468, and/or pass this message to your
national and state professional organizations, your state department of
education, your professional colleagues, and/or to your state media outlets.
_ _ _ _ _
As always, I look forward to your thoughts
and comments. Feel free to contact me at
any time if there is anything that I can do to support your work.
Best,
Howie
