Students with disabilities deserve more than a seat in the classroom. They deserve the individual attention, specialized instruction, trained staff, and consistent support they need to learn, communicate, develop independence, and reach their full potential.

Teachers have also been clear that staffing and special education need greater attention. In the 2026 Charleston Teacher Alliance Leadership Survey, educators identified special education, staffing, class size, and instructional support among the areas they want the School Board to prioritize. Some teachers specifically called for more direct classroom support, including additional special education teachers and interventionists.

Recent allegations involving the treatment of an autistic CCSD student are also a serious reminder of why families must be able to trust that students' Individualized Education Programs are followed, staff are properly trained, and parents know what happens when their child needs additional support.
As your School Board trustee, I will work to put more trained hands where they matter most: directly alongside students and educators.

Here's how we achieve this together!

PUT MORE TRAINED ADULTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS

• Review staffing levels in self-contained and high-need special education classrooms and identify where additional teachers, assistants, behavior specialists, or other trained staff are needed.

• Prioritize funding that places more qualified adults directly with students, particularly in classrooms serving students who require intensive academic, behavioral, communication, or personal support.

• Track vacancies and unfilled special education positions so the Board and public can see where staffing shortages exist and how long positions remain open.

• Develop stronger recruitment and retention strategies for special education teachers, assistants, therapists, and other specialized personnel.

 

MAKE SURE EVERY STUDENT'S INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ARE MET

• Strengthen oversight to ensure Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, are implemented consistently and that students receive the services and accommodations identified for them.

• Make sure classroom staffing decisions reflect the actual needs of students rather than relying only on districtwide staffing formulas.

• Review whether students are receiving required special education services on time and identify schools where staffing shortages are disrupting those services.

• Give teachers and families clear ways to raise concerns when a student's services are not being delivered as expected.

 

GIVE EDUCATORS THE TRAINING AND SUPPORT THEY NEED

• Provide regular training for teachers, assistants, substitute teachers, administrators, security personnel, and other staff who work with students with disabilities.

• Strengthen training on autism, de-escalation, communication needs, behavior supports, and safe responses when a student becomes overwhelmed or disregulated.

• Make sure substitute teachers and temporary staff receive the information and guidance they need before working in specialized classrooms.

• Listen directly to special education teachers and support staff about what they need to safely and effectively serve students.

• Put Department of Exceptional Children staff in classrooms one to two days a month to see firsthand what students need and what policies are working.

 

STRENGTHEN FAMILY TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY

• Make communication with parents and guardians a core expectation whenever significant incidents involving their child occur.

• Give families clear information about who is responsible for their child's services, how to raise concerns, and what steps the district will take to respond.

• Require the district to regularly report on special education staffing, vacancies, service delivery, and other measures that help the Board identify problems before they become crises.

• Use Board oversight to make sure policies designed to protect students with disabilities are being followed consistently across CCSD schools.

• Partner with families to set realistic classroom goals that can be practiced and reinforced at home, so progress made at school carries over to the home.

KEEP RESOURCES CLOSE TO STUDENTS

• Review administrative and instructional support spending to determine where resources can be redirected toward direct classroom support.

• Prioritize special education teachers, assistants, interventionists, therapists, and other staff who work directly with students when making budget decisions.

• Measure whether new programs and positions are improving student services and redirect funding when they are not.

• Make sure additional special education investments are tied to clear outcomes families and taxpayers can understand.

EVERY CHILD IN OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

For students with disabilities, that responsibility means more than promises. It means enough trained people in the classroom, educators who have the tools to do their jobs, families who are treated as partners, and a School Board willing to ask whether every child is actually receiving the support they need.