A program through which special education experts help families navigate services for students with disabilities will no longer be operated by Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies after the Iowa Department of Education recently announced it will not renew contracts with the agencies.
The state education department informed AEA leaders in a Jan. 22 email that the state is discontinuing contracts and grants for the AEAs to operate the Family Educator Partners program at the end of June.
Under the program, AEA coordinators at no cost to families provide support, information and resources to families and educators about special education services that are available to Iowa students with disabilities and their families.
The Jan. 22 email, sent by Barbara Guy, director of special education at the Iowa Department of Education, did not give a reason for why the state is discontinuing its partnership with the AEAs on the program.
A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state is separating from the AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program because of conflicts of interest — the program workers also are AEA employees — and because of what he said were inconsistencies in support provided and confusion over roles and responsibilities as identified in a 2014 report.
“AEA advocates help resolve issues or disagreements between parents who believe their child’s educational needs are not being met and the AEA or school district that provides their services. This creates a conflict of interest as the family’s advocate is an employee of the same AEA providing the student’s services and supporting the school district to meet federal requirements,” Reynolds spokesman Kollin Crompton said in an email to The Gazette.
Crompton said the state is exploring a partnership with an independent, third-party entity to operate the program.
The state’s decision to discontinue its partnership with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program comes as Reynolds has proposed an overhaul of how Iowa’s AEAs operate and are funded. Guy’s email to the AEAs was sent 12 days after Reynolds introduced her legislation and three days after she wrote an open letter to Iowans making the case for her proposal.
Crompton said Reynolds’ proposal to reform AEAs “had no bearing” on the state’s decision to part with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program.
“Effective partnerships between families, educators and community providers are critical in supporting the success of all students with disabilities across Iowa,” Crompton said. “All families, no matter what AEA region they reside in, deserve to receive consistent services and high levels of advocacy support. While some families have received meaningful and impartial support, unfortunately, that has not been the experience of all families across Iowa.”
Reynolds’ proposal underwent significant revisions after initial reaction, and state lawmakers in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House have proposed their own, separate proposals for AEA reform.
Ending the contracts with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program will impact an estimated 17 full-time equivalent staff across Iowa’s nine AEAs, including two at Grant Wood AEA in Cedar Rapids, according to Dr. Maria Cashman, Grant Wood AEA’s Associate Chief Administrator and Director of Special Education.
“Our AEA has two individuals currently serving as Family Educator Partners. Each year they help our families and districts navigate special education procedures and laws, with a focus on ensuring equity in voice from the schools, from the families, and from the AEA during challenging conversations related to the support of children with special needs,” Cashman said in a statement emailed to The Gazette. “This loss is significant for our families and partners, and yet another change to our programs and services that we hadn't anticipated.”
Johnna Davis, a Family and Educator Partnership coordinator with Heartland Area Education Agency in Johnston, estimated the move will impact about 15 staff members across the state’s nine AEAs.
Davis said because of the move, she has resigned from her role to pursue another career opportunity effective March 1.
“I was heartbroken, to say the least,” she said. “I felt like it was a dismantling power grab. … It felt like being backstabbed, honestly.”
Davis lives in Mingo and has two children with autism. She has been at Heartland AEA for the last three years as a liaison, working together with families of students with disabilities and school officials to understand, navigate and mediate disputes and disagreements over a student’s Individualized Education Plan.
An Individualized Education Plan is a legal document for students who need special education. It is created through a team of special education parents, educators and experts.
“We partner with families and school districts to build a cohesive model of an IEP team and empower families to be meaningful participants of the IEP process and provide the parent perspective with educators, and make sure parent voices are heard in the IEP process,” Davis said.
Davis called Crompton’s description of Family Educator Partners’ work and the issues raised in the 2014 report “misinformed.”
“We are not parent advocates,” Davis said. “We’re really advocating for the IEP process to be upheld, to be upheld well and with fidelity. … We are advocates for the IEP process. We are more of a family liaison.”
The Gazette requested information on how much it cost the state to operate the Family Educator Partners program, and what funding source has been used. An Iowa Department of Education spokeswoman said the department was working to compile that information. The Gazette had not yet received it as of late Wednesday afternoon.
www.thegazette.com
The state education department informed AEA leaders in a Jan. 22 email that the state is discontinuing contracts and grants for the AEAs to operate the Family Educator Partners program at the end of June.
Under the program, AEA coordinators at no cost to families provide support, information and resources to families and educators about special education services that are available to Iowa students with disabilities and their families.
The Jan. 22 email, sent by Barbara Guy, director of special education at the Iowa Department of Education, did not give a reason for why the state is discontinuing its partnership with the AEAs on the program.
A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state is separating from the AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program because of conflicts of interest — the program workers also are AEA employees — and because of what he said were inconsistencies in support provided and confusion over roles and responsibilities as identified in a 2014 report.
“AEA advocates help resolve issues or disagreements between parents who believe their child’s educational needs are not being met and the AEA or school district that provides their services. This creates a conflict of interest as the family’s advocate is an employee of the same AEA providing the student’s services and supporting the school district to meet federal requirements,” Reynolds spokesman Kollin Crompton said in an email to The Gazette.
Crompton said the state is exploring a partnership with an independent, third-party entity to operate the program.
The state’s decision to discontinue its partnership with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program comes as Reynolds has proposed an overhaul of how Iowa’s AEAs operate and are funded. Guy’s email to the AEAs was sent 12 days after Reynolds introduced her legislation and three days after she wrote an open letter to Iowans making the case for her proposal.
Crompton said Reynolds’ proposal to reform AEAs “had no bearing” on the state’s decision to part with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program.
“Effective partnerships between families, educators and community providers are critical in supporting the success of all students with disabilities across Iowa,” Crompton said. “All families, no matter what AEA region they reside in, deserve to receive consistent services and high levels of advocacy support. While some families have received meaningful and impartial support, unfortunately, that has not been the experience of all families across Iowa.”
Reynolds’ proposal underwent significant revisions after initial reaction, and state lawmakers in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House have proposed their own, separate proposals for AEA reform.
Ending the contracts with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program will impact an estimated 17 full-time equivalent staff across Iowa’s nine AEAs, including two at Grant Wood AEA in Cedar Rapids, according to Dr. Maria Cashman, Grant Wood AEA’s Associate Chief Administrator and Director of Special Education.
“Our AEA has two individuals currently serving as Family Educator Partners. Each year they help our families and districts navigate special education procedures and laws, with a focus on ensuring equity in voice from the schools, from the families, and from the AEA during challenging conversations related to the support of children with special needs,” Cashman said in a statement emailed to The Gazette. “This loss is significant for our families and partners, and yet another change to our programs and services that we hadn't anticipated.”
Johnna Davis, a Family and Educator Partnership coordinator with Heartland Area Education Agency in Johnston, estimated the move will impact about 15 staff members across the state’s nine AEAs.
Davis said because of the move, she has resigned from her role to pursue another career opportunity effective March 1.
“I was heartbroken, to say the least,” she said. “I felt like it was a dismantling power grab. … It felt like being backstabbed, honestly.”
Davis lives in Mingo and has two children with autism. She has been at Heartland AEA for the last three years as a liaison, working together with families of students with disabilities and school officials to understand, navigate and mediate disputes and disagreements over a student’s Individualized Education Plan.
An Individualized Education Plan is a legal document for students who need special education. It is created through a team of special education parents, educators and experts.
“We partner with families and school districts to build a cohesive model of an IEP team and empower families to be meaningful participants of the IEP process and provide the parent perspective with educators, and make sure parent voices are heard in the IEP process,” Davis said.
Davis called Crompton’s description of Family Educator Partners’ work and the issues raised in the 2014 report “misinformed.”
“We are not parent advocates,” Davis said. “We’re really advocating for the IEP process to be upheld, to be upheld well and with fidelity. … We are advocates for the IEP process. We are more of a family liaison.”
The Gazette requested information on how much it cost the state to operate the Family Educator Partners program, and what funding source has been used. An Iowa Department of Education spokeswoman said the department was working to compile that information. The Gazette had not yet received it as of late Wednesday afternoon.
State cuts ties with AEAs on program that helps special education students’ families navigate services
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office says the state will hire a new partner, citing conflicts of interest in the program as operated by AEAs, but one recent program worker pushed back at that characterization.
www.thegazette.com
