Previous Story
‘Further training needed for SPED teachers’
|
Posted on Feb 22 2005
Keeping teachers, giving them more training, and introducing effective teaching techniques were just some of the key issues discussed during the two-day Western Regional Resources Center Pacific Regional meeting, which ended yesterday at the Pacific Islands Club.
WRRC director Caroline Moore recommended that teachers and support staff involved in special education should undergo more training for their professional development.
She said more this step would improve policies, procedures, and practices resulting in quality programs and services for schoolchildren with disabilities.
Moore also said that her group was able to identify what needs to be done to help improve the field of special education in the Pacific region.
For instance, she found out that the salaries of special education teachers are not as competitive as in regular education, forcing SPED teachers to make the tough choice of moving to “greener pastures.”
The meeting also got a consensus that SPED teachers should be more sensitive to local culture when dealing with schoolchildren with disabilities, their parents, and loved ones.
Participants of the meeting also agreed to collaborate further to advance the field of special education in the region.
“We will be back [in September] and will have smaller sessions regarding the issues. We’ve identified some areas where the whole region can work together to improve the training and retain the teachers,” said Moore.
She said no matter what strategies they come up with; each jurisdiction will have to execute the plans on their own.
She, however, assured that her team would always be their to lend support and help agencies involved in special education find better and more effective ways of teaching students with disabilities.
Aside from the CNMI, special education directors from American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau also attended the workshop.
The WRRC organized the Pacific Regional meeting in collaboration with the CNMI Public School System. (Marconi Calindas)
