Insight into restructured RISE special needs program

A public school unveils what its special education program will look like now that its had its funding cut. CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco explains.

Jacqueline Anderach received a letter from the public school board last week outlining changes to the Reaching Individual Success and Excellence (RISE) special education program in September.

“I need him to move ahead, not backwards,” said Anderach, who worries her son might fall further behind in the new system. “I would really like to see them grandfather this program, allow these children that are currently in RISE to finish, you know, allow them the opportunity for success here. Every child learns differently.”

With a focus on language, arts, and math, RISE provides individualized programming for students. That will change in September after a deep year-long consultation period led by researchers, involving parents, students, and many stakeholders.

This fall, students from the RISE program will be placed in their homerooms full-time instead of part-time.

“When they go back to the homeroom, we’re going to be looking at individualized support, especially in reading,” said Chris Mills, superintendent of Education and Special Education. “We’ve purchased some additional resources to help with math knowledge attainment.”

Mills said the change was necessary.

“The original intent of the program was for students to go in for a short period of time to catch up to the same age level peers and then return to the homeroom,” Mills explained.

He said the board found that didn’t happen for some over the course of time. “Students stayed in those courses for long periods of time and that changed their trajectory. It forced decisions at the high school level and then forced decisions at post-secondary. A lot of our students not going to college or university.”

Mills said instruction will come from the homeroom teacher with help from learning support staff, which many schools will receive. He added students will continue to have access to learning tools like computers and iPads.

“We want to support our students,” Mills said.

Mario Spagnuolo, local president of the Essex County District School Board, feels it’s not a one size fits all model.

“For some kids, it will work, but we’ve had that option of integration all along anyways,” noted the local president of the Greater Essex Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario. “It’s for the kids that really need that intense programing, they won’t have that option anymore.”

Spagnuolo said he recently met with representatives at the school board, suggesting they work together to advocate with the current government to secure more funding for students with special needs.

“The data is very clear. There’s billions of dollars being taken out of public education so instead of fighting each other, why don’t we come together as a community and go after where we all are pointing fingers – and that’s the Ministry of Education,” Spagnuolo said.