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Lack of experts on ‘special education’ burdening school system—Attao
The lack of experts on “special education” and related services is burdening the Public School System, according to Rep. Blas Jonathan “BJ” Attao (Ind-Saipan).
In the CNMI, the PSS administers “special education” to individuals with disabilities—from 3 years old to 21 years old—and provides related services such as speech language pathology, audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, among many others.
Those needing special education often includes individuals with autism, other learning and intellectual disabilities, and those suffering from hearing, speech, and visual impairment, among other physical disabilities.
Attao said PSS often recruits specialists from off-island because the CNMI does not have local practitioners of these specialized skills. Most often, the specialist has a master’s degree to qualify.
A major concern is that the specialist often leaves the CNMI after only one or two contract periods, Attao said.
The lack of specialists has prompted Attao to introduce House Bill 19-61 (“Related Service Providers Scholarship Act of 2015”), which seeks to establish a scholarship program for special education and related fields.
Unlike existing scholarship programs, the administration is required to submit an annual report to the Office of the Governor and to the Legislature, and to have a “sunset” provision.
Generally, Attao’s bill is similar to the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance.
Attao, however, said the main difference is that beneficiaries will be required by law to return to the CNMI and practice these related services for special education for a period of two years for each year of scholarship assistance.
Attao’s bill also allocates $10,000 (maximum) per semester for students enrolling in a master’s degree program (with an accredited U.S. institution) for a period of three years.
If the beneficiary fails to complete this obligation, he or she must remit the funds back to PSS.
Attao’s bill also seeks to allocate $300,000 from the PSS budget annually to be used for the scholarship.
If his bill is passed into law, Attao said the annual budget will be drawn from PSS starting in fiscal year 2017.
