By Taylor MacPherson

Parents frustrated by cancellation of school program for students with learning disabilities

Apr 25, 2017 | 5:00 PM

The cancellation of an education program in the Sask. Rivers Public School Division has left a group of parents feeling frustrated.

The Carlton Connection program, which offered small classes and individual attention for students in Grades 7-10 who display above-average intelligence but are held back by their learning disabilities, was recently cut by the school division. The program limited class sizes to 14 and employed a full-time education assistant to ensure students would be able to overcome their disabilities in reading, writing and mathematics.

Patricia Connelly’s two children, now in Grades 7 and 9, were both enrolled in Carlton Connection. Connelly said the program was incredibly beneficial for both of her children – while it lasted.

“They really worked with the kids getting them up to grade level, especially in English and in math,” Connelly said. “Now they’ve taken the program away, which breaks my heart.”

In a letter to the parents of children enrolled in the Carlton Connection Program dated March 9, Superintendent of Schools Tom Michaud announced the program was being cancelled in its 25th year because the division’s regular classroom programming is specifically designed to adapt to the needs of each individual student.

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“A program such as Carlton Connections… no longer distinguishes itself from the supports offered in regular classrooms,” Michaud wrote. “Students currently registered in the Carlton Connections program will be integrated into other classes offering regular programs as prescribed by the Ministry of Education.”

Connelly said she has serious doubts about the ability of teachers to instruct at multiple learning levels simultaneously and make the necessary accommodations for learning-disabled students. She also questioned why the program was cancelled outright instead of being slowly phased out.

“They ripped the rug right out from underneath us, which is a bit frustrating,” she said, and added she believes the program cut was motivated by recent provincial spending cuts despite Michaud not citing a financial motivation in his letter.

In September, Connelly said her daughter will remain at Carlton while her son will transfer back to St. Francis School within the Prince Albert Catholic School Division where he will likely be placed into a regular class. Connelly said the quality of education is good in the regular classrooms, but noted she still has concerns regarding large class sizes and the lack of individual attention and education assistants.

Kevin Isbister, another parent with a child in the Carlton Connection program, said a group of concerned parents have been meeting to try to get the program restored, but so far have had little success. Isbister said the reason for the cancellation has still not been adequately explained to parents.

“We found relief for our son and found help for him and now it’s just being taken away,” Isbister said. “The only logical explanation is budget, but at no point has anybody told us that.”

Isbister said the parents’ group sent a letter to the Ministry of Education and the school division voicing their concerns on Monday, and others have written personal letters as well. Isbister said if the program is not restored he will not allow his son to be placed back into a normal classroom and will instead seek out a similar program, even if it means moving to a new city.

“Last week my wife and I were in Vancouver looking at a school there,” he said. “He will fail in a regular class.”

Sask. Rivers Director of Education Robert Bratvold said the decision to cancel the program in favour of a more inclusive model was made by the school board in February after the Ministry of Education clarified their expectations regarding alternative education.

“When we did the special-ed review a couple years ago, and in the time since then, we’ve been moving to more of an inclusive model of education,” Bratvold said. “In the last couple of years our teachers have become more skilled and more able in terms of providing differentiation within the regular classroom.”

Bratvold said the program cancellation will carry some challenges, particularly for students with learning disabilities who must now transition into regular classroom settings, but said he has “tremendous faith” in the ability of teaching staff to meet the needs of every student.

Although the school division is struggling to find savings following an austere provincial budget, Bratvold said the decision to cancel the program was not financially-motivated. He acknowledged the decision will have some financial implications, but said the call was made in February, well before they were aware of the provincial budget cuts.

The cancellation of Carlton Connection also frees two teachers to provide additional instruction where they are needed, Bravold said, which will help ease the burden on regular classroom teachers.

Bratvold encouraged any worried parents to contact him directly and voice their concerns.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews