The cost of inclusion?

Jim Allen’s article, “Special ed changes show positive results” (March 1), reports to the city exactly what the Spokane Public Schools system wants your readers to hear. That is, that the time and funding that the school district has spent implementing restorative practices and inclusion are paying off.

If Mr. Allen wants us to know about the positive results from these efforts, it is only fair that he do his due diligence and also write about the costs of these practices.

So, before we get too excited about the positive changes referenced in Mr. Allen’s article, we must ask: How many minutes of school are students missing out on when teachers have to implement “room clears,” lock-downs and individual student de-escalation? How many personal days are teachers and staff taking because of the emotional and physical abuse that they endure from these inclusion practices? How much time and money is being used to clean up and repair classrooms that are damaged during explosive behaviors? Who decided it is best practice to mainstream all students?

It is time to ask teachers, para-educators, school staff, and — maybe particularly — SPS students how their lives and education are affected by this “ambitious approach to special education.”

Jim, I ask you to write a parallel article, “The cost of inclusion,” and let the readers decide: Are the factors cited in your article really “a special cause for celebration”?

Katey Randall Treloar

Spokane