Our learning communities, along with the ESE central office team, conducted ESE Parent Round Tables in October and November.
They asked parents 4 questions and identified the common trends we found across the learning communities. After synthesizing the parent concerns across learning communities, the following trends surfaced:
•Concerns with limited staff
•Opportunities for parent training
•Accommodations carried out in all classes
•The need for more information related to student transition
In order to address these concerns, the ESE Parent Outreach Team made adjustments to ensure the needs of OCPS families and teachers are met. Although the team has limited control over many of the variables related to staff shortages, a teacher tool kit and several mini video series for professional development to help support and retain our current teachers has been developed.
To support teachers with implementing accommodations in ESE classrooms and in general education classrooms, various resources have been included in the teacher toolkit to support their understanding and development in this area.
All teachers have been auto-enrolled in the ESE Teacher Toolkit. This toolkit is visible in Canvas under the Courses tab. The toolkit is titled, ESE Toolkit for all Teachers & Paraprofessionals.
Additionally, family workshops have been added to our spring calendar to further support our families. During the January Parent Academy, the Parent Outreach Team will be presenting a workshop titled Ages & Stages, to address concerns related to student transition.