WSD prioritizing classroom inclusion for students who need supports

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This article was published 25/03/2024 (557 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s largest school board is updating its approach to inclusion in a bid to reduce enrolment in pull-out programs and the overall number of hours students spend in specialized classrooms.

The chief superintendent of the Winnipeg School Division has informed families that he no longer wants “the default” to be moving students with disabilities and those who have difficulty regulating their emotions into separate programs often delivered outside their neighbourhoods.

“We are asking schools, when possible, to hold onto their kids so that children can attend their neighbourhood schools with their peers,” Matt Henderson wrote in a letter to community members last week.

WSD runs a number of inclusive support services, ranging from a program teaching skills for independent living to learning-assistance centres.

There are low-enrolment programs specifically designed to support students with autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and severe anxiety.

Henderson said there will be no outright cuts, but programs may look different next year.

Principals have been asked to take a “one student at a time” approach when it comes to inclusion, he said, adding he wants to see more students included in “the daily life of a (traditional) school.”

The new philosophy has raised concerns among support staff and parents alike, said Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union.

“These programs are very important to many students who need that extra help and attention to succeed,” said Ross, who represents roughly 1,700 educational assistants, clerks and other non-teaching employees in WSD.

“While the division has assured us that the changes will not mean job loss for educational assistants, we’ll be watching the transition very closely to ensure staff are able to continue to support students so they don’t fall behind.”

Henderson has announced a number of operational changes — including the structure of the senior leadership team making changes out of WSD’s Wall Street board office — since joining the division late last summer.

The board needs to build capacity in every school to meet the varied needs of its learners, he said, noting he favours in-school programming over stand-alone programs.

Area trustees recently approved a 2024-25 budget that relies on cost savings from reducing school transportation costs via redirecting out-of-catchment students to their home schools.

Henderson noted that funding for inclusion services, which exceeds $100 million, is not being decreased.

WSD’s anxiety management program has 19 registrants this year.

The autism spectrum disorder program, the largest low-enrolment initiative, currently serves 167 children — about 0.5 per cent of the division’s student population.

The Winnipeg Teachers’ Association did not provide comment on the matter Friday.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca