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Mary Richards ReportingIt's often called special education, but the Council for Exceptional Children likes a different word.
Debbie Ballard: "They are exceptional."
The Jordan School District's Debbie Ballard helped coordinate a national meeting of the CEC at the Salt Palace. Thousands of educators are there.
Debbie Ballard: "We want them to go away with knowledge and expertise to use in the classroom, and jobs they do to benefit our kids."
A recent report ranked Utah at the bottom of the nation in per-pupil funding.
Debbie Ballard: "These kids need extra help and they need extra people, and it's often times hard to find those people or the things they need because of lack of funding. Often times our students are, and they should be, in the general education classroom with their peers and they get instruction, accommodations in that classroom. They aren't segregated or isolated like they used to be."
The CEC's Annmarie Kallas says they are giving educators ideas and resources this week to work through funding challenges. Kallas says many special ed students are in regular classrooms.
Mark Riding with teacher training for the state says conferences like this one help teachers keep up.
Mark Riding: "One of the real issues in special ed is making sure all the students get high quality instruction, teachers are well prepared, that they are learning something."
The CEC says in the past few years, the number of special ed students graduating high school has tripled. The number then graduating from college has doubled. "
