Supporting Students with IEPs: A Collection of Resources
With the chronic understaffing of Special Education in San Diego Unified, many educators are in need of additional resources to sustainably and appropriately support their students. See a list of highlighted resources below.
Have more resources to add to this page? Send them to kennedy_s@sdea.net
Your rights in the SDEA contract
Here are some highlighted Know Your Rights flyers related to recent issues that have come up regarding supporting students with IEPs:
- For Ed Specialists:
- For all educations:
Special Education Resources from CTA
Our state affiliate has a hub of Special Education Resources to support members with a variety of issues related to Special Education:
**You will need to log into your CTA account to access some resources
- A variety of recorded webinars are available, including videos on:
- Co-Teaching
- MTSS
- Class Size and Caseloads
- IEP Rights and Responsibilities
- IEP Meetings - 3 part series meant to inform best practices for IEP team meetings for both new and veteran educators
- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
- Navigating Special Education as a General Education Teacher: Slide Deck - This may be useful for site-based professional learning
- Special Education Resources Guide** - This extensive guide has a clickable table of contents and provides information on:
- Special Education issues in the law, including:
- IEP Rights & Responsibilities
- Caseloads/Workload information and analysis tools
- Information about Safety, Social Emotional Learning & Mental Health
- Social Justice Tools
Additional Resources
- Disability Rights California
These are high quality resources designed for parents but useful for educators as well, both for providing to parents but also understanding what parents have access to. Includes toolkits like “Behavior & Discipline” and “Disagreements with the District.” - Special Education Rights & Responsibilities
This interactive manual from Disability Rights California includes chapters on the left to find answers to some common questions related to specific topics like Due Process, Evaluations, Early Intervention, and lots more. - Crisis & Trauma Resources Institute
These resources for critical incident debriefing could be useful for schools navigating threats and how to follow up on the impacts on the community. This includes Indigenous perspectives and not just a Western lens.
Key considerations:
Student Discipline
One of the contractual rights of SDEA members is the right to suspend students from their class for specific reasons, per 11.7.3. However, there are legal considerations when it comes to suspensions and student discipline for students with IEPs. The CTA Special Education Resource Guide breaks down these considerations in Ed Code on pages 52-55. When dealing with discipline issues in your classroom, this may be a good resource to review before meeting with administration, so you are aware of your students' legal rights to a free, accessible public education and how that relates to discipline.
Injury to Employees
Unfortunately, educators sometimes get injured - especially in chronically understaffed schools. Some things to know:
- Ed Code (44014.) specifies that appropriate law enforcement needs to be notified in the case of an attack, assault, or physical threat against any employee. Failure to make this report can result in a fine. However, a student’s age or cognitive/emotional impairment can be considered when evaluating whether a child actually had intent or ability to cause an injury. See page 55 of the CTA Special Education Resource Guide.
- Even interaction with police at school can negatively impact students and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, which is why there has been advocacy in California to change the law to give educators more say in whether or not to involve the police. Read this CalMatters story about AB 2441, which recently failed to pass.
- See SDUSD’s process here for what you should do if injured on the job. If there are issues with denied Workers' Compensation claims, SDEA members have access to free legal consultations.
Know Your Rights: Supporting Students with IEPs in the General Education Classroom
Our contract includes specific protections and resources to help educators appropriately support students with IEPs, particularly in classes where over 20% of students have IEPs.
- Read more about your rights and how to ask for support when needed with our new Know Your Rights Flyer
- Access lots more resources here
Do you know your options for retirement?
Whether or not you are considering retirement this year, it is never too early to learn more!
Learn more about retirement options at an upcoming CalSTRS session
CalSTRS has upcoming in-person and online “My Retirement Decisions” sessions available. Learn how to calculate your retirement benefit, choose your retirement date, beneficiary options, service retirement forms, your Defined Benefit Supplement account, and working after retirement. Slides and materials are also available here.
- 💻 Online: Thursday, December 19, 2024, 3:30 PM to 5 PM – Register via CalSTRS
- 💻 Online: Thursday, January 2, 2025, 2 PM to 3:30 PM – Register via CalSTRS
- 🪑 In Person: Tuesday, January 7, 2025, 4 PM – 5:30 PM – Hosted by SDEA, RSVP here
- 💻 Online: Thursday, January 9, 2025, 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM – Hosted by SDEA, RSVP here
- 🪑 In Person: Monday, January 13, 2025, 4 PM – 5:30 PM – Hosted by SDEA, RSVP here
Are you over 50 or turning 50 this academic year?
You may already be considering the District’s offer of a Supplementary Early Retirement Plan (SERP) for the 2024-25 academic year. The enrollment deadline is January 15th, so if you need access to an enrollment packet you’ll need to act quickly!
- Check the list of eligible or possibly eligible employees provided by the District
- See all SERP information and resources on SDEA’s SERP Information Hub
2024-25 SERP Agreement Reached
A SERP Agreement has been finalized!
Last night we finalized an agreement with the District to offer a Supplemental Early Retirement Program (SERP) for this year.
Ultimately, the District was unwilling to increase the benefit amount beyond 70% of the participating unit member’s final salary due to the impact on both the actuarial projections and the fact that other bargaining units had already settled at that rate.
More details, including timelines for informational sessions with Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS) and CalSTRS, will be sent to SERP-eligible members as it becomes available. (Not sure if you are SERP eligible? Check out section 1.1 in the agreement.) In the meantime, members considering the SERP can schedule individual appointments with CalSTRS directly if they wish. This website and this FAQ will continue to be updated.
This agreement impacts all of us!
While the details of the SERP are most relevant to SDEA members considering retirement, this agreement impacts all our members and our school communities in two ways:
- It includes an agreement to address the ongoing SPED staffing issue. The SERP agreement includes a guarantee that the District will offset the number of Ed Specialist vacancies that occur due to the SERP by reimbursing unit members – including Visiting Teachers – for the cost of obtaining an Ed Specialist credential while they continue working. Especially as we are still awaiting a response from the District regarding the Ed Specialist caseload overage grievance from last year, it is clear that we need more concrete solutions to the SPED staffing shortages.
- Early retirement incentives are a way to avoid layoffs. With enrollment lagging and the limitations of school funding, incentives for early retirements and credentials for high-need areas can reduce the need for layoffs.
SDEA members and their students were clear this past Spring: Layoffs are harmful to our schools!
Labor Council Food & Toy Drive 2024
The San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council is holding their annual Holiday Food and Toy Drive for union families in need.
- Submit a name: If you or another educator you know needs support this holiday season, you can submit a name for a food and/or toy voucher here as soon as possible (we have limited numbers!) but by Sunday, December 1st at the latest. (Educators, we know you normally focus on your students and their needs, but these vouchers are for SDEA members and their families.)
- Donate a toy: Drop off unwrapped toys at the SDEA office by Monday, December 2nd. Normal business hours are Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Note: In observance of Thanksgiving, the office will be closed November 28 – 29, 2025.)
- Volunteer: Sign up to help distribute food and gifts on December 7th!
Last Call: Priorities for the final weeks of the 118th Congress
Congress has entered its post-election session, often referred to as a "lame duck" period. While this questionable term suggests limited action, it’s a critical tie for politicians to tackle issues they avoided while on the campaign trail. With just a few weeks left of a relatively labor-friendly administration, now is the time for action!
Our national affiliate, NEA, has identified key labor priorities for this legislative session ahead of the January transfer of power. For SDEA members who care about these priorities, this is your moment to make sure your elected representatives hear your voice. Urge them to vote in a way that reflects your values, and our collective interests!
Identified NEA priorities & Actions:
Click Here for a living document with updated actions - things move fast when Congress is in session!
Tips for contacting representatives:
- Know WHO to contact: Are you advocating for a specific bill in Congress? Which chamber is currently deciding on the bill? (Does the specific bill name start with H.R. or S.?) Look up your Congressional representatives' contact information here.
- Know WHEN to contact: Contact ahead of a specific vote, or to share priorities for a future vote! Sites like GovTrack can help track the status of important bills, and allow you to sign up for alerts.
- Say WHO you are: State your name and address (so staffers know you are a constituent!) Always contact your representative.
- Say WHAT you want: Tell them the specific bill you want them to vote on if applicable, and how you want them to vote.
- Say WHY you care: If you have a personal reason, share it! If you are standing in solidarity with a specific group (like in solidarity with other NEA educators), say that.
- Know HOW to contact: Choose the most impactful form of communication possible to make sure you are heard.
Bonus: Level up your advocacy
In any democracy, the most effective advocacy takes time and organizing! Elected representatives rely on their constituents to tell them what to focus on and prioritize, especially when lots of individuals and groups are vying for their attention. In general, the best ways to make your voice heard are (in order of effectiveness:)
- In-person visits
- Phone calls
- Personalized letters or emails
- Form letters / online petitions
- Strategic social media posts tagging your representative
- Social media posts on your private page that your rep will not see
Remember, the easier an action is to do, the easier it is to ignore! One way to amplify your individual voice is through solidarity, whether that is participating in a coordinated campaign (like the actions shared by NEA) or encouraging others to take action as well. That's why signing petitions along with other union educators across the country can make a difference - but if you can pick up the phone and take a few moments to call your representative to share your priorities, that can be even more impactful. Read more about effective communication with representatives from RepresentUs.
SERP Bargaining Update
This morning our bargaining team met with the District to provide a counteroffer to their initial proposal for the Supplemental Early Retirement Program (SERP).
Our proposal increases the District’s annuity incentive to a full year’s salary. It also acknowledges that the SERP will further impact special education by creating more vacancies.
To address special education vacancies, we proposed the creation of a program for the District to pay for current unit members – including those on temporary contracts and visiting teachers – to earn a credential in special education with the guarantee of a job. We believe this creates a pathway for educators to continue working in our District on a track to permanent status and also a solution to preemptively reduce the need for layoffs during a challenging budget year.
The District’s bargaining team plans to present our proposal to the School Board in closed session on Tuesday and will respond after receiving guidance and parameters.
More information on the SERP, including a FAQ, is available here.
Letters in Solidarity: Support Our Students - The Time is Now - We Can’t Wait!
As we write this, our NEA endorsed candidate Kamala Harris has lost the presidential election and this now puts the well-being of our most vulnerable immigrant and LGBTQ+ students at risk. In the face of this threat to our communities, we are inspired by the words of Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers union, who said that, “You can disagree with me and you can vote however you’re going to vote. But you cannot ignore our duty as a union to fight like hell for social and economic justice.”
As a fighting union and as part of the statewide We Can’t Wait coalition of education unions, we must be prepared as SDEA members to confront the forces of extremism head-on and accelerate our struggle for social and economic justice. We are doing this locally through maintaining the pro-educator, pro-public education majority on the SDUSD school board and reelecting our SDEA endorsed candidate Sabrina Bazzo. This was accomplished through the efforts of SDEA union educators who passed out flyers supporting Sabrina at schools in District A, canvassed door-to-door, text-banked to thousands of voters and made monthly contributions to keep our SDEA Political Action Fund strong.
Educators at Toler, Longfellow & other District A schools getting out the vote for Sabrina Bazzo.
Across California, we are seeing the impact of one-time COVID relief funds drying up that finally funded schools at levels that began to meet the needs of the largest population of low-income students in the United States. Without these additional funds and with California’s abysmal school funding in the wealthiest state in the country, this means that our schools are understaffed, educators can’t afford to live in the neighborhoods we serve and our communities are destabilized by harmful cuts that continue to be proposed as budget solutions.
It doesn’t have to be this way. California has the resources to invest in our schools and communities. We Can’t Wait for politicians to prioritize our students and support our schools. So we are coming together to organize and combine the power of unions across the state to win the schools and the funding that our students deserve. This starts in November with all SDEA members having the opportunity to vote to ratify our contract campaign bargaining platform that incorporates priorities developed through 150+ input sessions at schools and programs throughout the district. And as SDEA leaders, we are committed to fight alongside you and union educators from across California to win the demands in our transformational platform!
Bringing Solidarity to the Bargaining Table
Coming together to win a strong contract
A strong union contract is one that meets the needs of the community and amplifies all voices. As SDEA members prepare for their next contract, Bargaining Input Sessions were held at all sites and programs at the start of the 2024-25 school year. Educators shared their ideas on how to improve the contract in four key areas: Wages, Benefits, Working Conditions, and Common Good. Representatives gathered these ideas in union meetings at 150+ schools, including a chance for members to individually identify their top priorities.
Photos from a few Bargaining Input Sessions
Finding common ground across our community and our state
As SDEA members shared ideas for their next contract, educators in unions statewide were doing the same. Many discussions in San Diego are reflected across the state: understaffed schools, low pay amidst rising costs, and a lack of school funding which is heightened by the lack of other resources like affordable housing. While educators in each district have unique needs and priorities, they are all encountering the same, big problem: California’s inadequate investment in public education. Despite being the largest economy in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world, California ranks 33rd in the country for per-pupil funding. This underfunding is nothing new, but the need for solutions is increasingly urgent as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic linger on after specific COVID-related funds dry up.
Because of the strong voices of SDEA educators, SDUSD already dedicates a significant portion of its budget to school staffing and maintains reserves near the legal minimum - two priorities that many other educator unions are still fighting for. Yet even a strong union and a strong contract aren’t enough to balance the broader issue of anemic school funding by the state. San Diego schools remain understaffed, with burned-out educators struggling to afford to live in our expensive city, and drops in enrollment further threatening school budgets. Along with continuing to demand a contract prioritizing educators, improving staffing, and ensuring stability for our communities, SDEA educators need comprehensive, long-term solutions. California can and should invest more in public education, and union educators statewide are strategizing how to make that happen.
Unions statewide chose a name for our campaign that reflects that urgency: We Can’t Wait! It’s time to finally fund the schools our students deserve.
Crafting a bargaining platform that reflects our collective priorities
With the data from Bargaining Input Sessions and notes from statewide conversations, the SDEA Bargaining Commission began work in October on crafting a bargaining platform. This Commission includes SDEA members representing various grade levels, programs, and specialties, ensuring the diverse needs and perspectives of over 6000 members are represented.
In October, the Bargaining Commission reviewed the survey results from Bargaining Input Sessions and identified themes in the top ideas that educators shared related to wages, benefits, working conditions, and the common good. They condensed similar ideas to create a master list of priorities for the Bargaining Team to bring to negotiations. In alignment with statewide demands, the Commission organized these priorities into three main categories:
- Fully staff our schools
- Improve educator pay
- Stability for students & communities
A bargaining platform is the big picture!
Bargaining platforms are the key demands that members, families, and communities will show up to fight for. Platforms are different than contract proposals, which are more detailed, cover more topics, and eventually become the language of our union contract.
For example, in 2023 SDEA members successfully fought for lower class sizes in younger grades, increased nurse staffing, and a 15% pay raise - all under our broad Recover, Rebuild, Rise Together! Platform. Other platform examples from past contract campaigns include the Fight For 5 and L.E.A.R.N.
Platforms are always the big picture for our community, but this year the picture is even bigger as we align our demands with a statewide fight. Together we are stronger!
What platform will we bring to the bargaining table?
Click here to read the platform that SDEA members are voting on at their November or December union meetings!
Time to Ratify: We Can’t Wait
SDEA members are voting on their priorities for our next contract!
The We Can’t Wait platform was built by members using feedback from bargaining input sessions across the district, and is aligned with a statewide campaign to finally fund the schools our students deserve. (Read more about the process!)
- On October 23, 2024, the SDEA Board approved this platform to go to members for a vote.
- Now it’s time for every SDEA member to vote on the bargaining platform and decide whether or not to bring this platform to the bargaining table! Voting will take place November 7th through December 9th, at union meetings at each site and program.
- Remember, only members can vote!
- Reminder: We moved bargaining over 2024-25 raises to this year’s bargaining to have maximum power to push for the best possible increase. (Also, during the timeframe of the last contract bargain, the State budget was not yet finalized.)
Bargaining Platform: We Can’t Wait
Click here to access as a PDF.
What’s Next?
If members vote to ratify the platform, bargaining can begin in January when the District and our union “sunshine” - the official beginning of negotiations, when both parties present what they intend to bargain over. Our existing union contract expires on June 30, 2025.
