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2- The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 30, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Amber Door Spa Our award winning spa is the best kept secret in Oakville! Come in and relax your mind, body and soul * Facials * Lifting Treatments * Microdermabrasion * Chemical Peels * Organic Treatments * Body Treatments * Manicures/Pedicures * Relaxation Massages * Hot Stone Massages * Reiki/Chakra Cleansing Parents fearful of EA cutbacks Continued from page 1 Gift Certificates Available Expanded Hours. Open Sundays! CIAL! R SPE E SUMM Ask us about our Light Legs Treatment Upper Middle Road Trafalgar Road Reeves Gate 3rd Line 1500 Heritage Way, Unit 6 Heritage Way N 905.469.4825 www.amberdoorspa.com Now hiring aestheticians. QEW cation on behalf of the board, that there won't be a reduction to the current complement of EAs when the new school year starts. Currently, there are almost 600 educational assistants -- full and part-timers -- who work for the board. EAs often work one-onone, in regular or self-contained classroom settings, with children identified with physical or developmental disabilities or behaviour issues. They are graduates of universities and college programs such as Developmental Disabilities Worker, Educational Assistant, Early Childhood Education and Early Child Education for the Developmentally Handicapped. Gurzi said she has heard from some schools that their EA allotment for 2008-09 is down drastically. "Principals were given their (EA) allocation a couple of weeks ago and the message from (Schaffer) was that they were going to experience a 20 per cent reduction in their allocation requests. "Currently, it's more like 40 per cent. As an example, one particular school had eight fulltime EAs and they're down to three for next year," said Gurzi, noting she's heard similar stories from several schools. She said the current 'holdback' of EAs, which is what the board calls the contingent of EAs for whom there is no work at present for the following school year, "is far greater than 20 per cent." Even if the holdback is 20 per cent that represents 120 EAs, noted Gurzi. "That's an incredible number," she said. Schaffer disputed Gurzi's interpretation of the situation saying no cuts to EAs are planned or expected for '0809. "Unfortunately, some people seem to be sharing very erroneous information with some of our parents. All of our EAs will be deployed now and into the fall," said Schaffer. "There are 590 full-time equivalent EAs that I have right now, and to my mind all of that will be needed (next year)." At last week's school board meeting, Halton Hills trustee "The main issue is you can't just change EAs and rotate them among the kids. If they keep changing EAs and have them floating in the classroom, it's not going to help at all." Cindy Thompson, parent of special education student Let's Chat ® A New Approach To A Better You! Personal Counselling and Business Coaching Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Addiction, Individual and Couples Counselling Your Lifestyle Consultant oyster perpetual cosmograph daytona in 18kt yellow gold WE WILL VISIT YOU AT YOUR HOME OR OFFICE See what we will do for you. Call Now For Your Free Phone Consultation Serving Oakville & Burlington 416-458-3291 3 A12-481 N. Service Rd. West, Oakville, ON L6M 2V6 Gerry Ockenden asked Schaffer to publicly address the status of EAs, which she did. "There has been no intent to change the total allotment of EAs in Halton.... We are caught in a collective agreement timeline," said Schaffer. "Our EAs are our most fluid (employee group). It's been an ongoing difficulty for EAs and schools to allow us (some scheduling) flexibility." Schaffer acknowledged the holdback on EAs is a little longer this year than in past years in order to provide that flexibility. "We allocate a certain percentage in May and the next allocation is in June to see where the (special needs) children are, and there is another allocation just before school opens. This gives us a little breathing space through the summer as children settle into place." Circumstances like late enrolment of students, the new identification of those with special needs, transfers from other school boards and the yearly influx of new junior and senior kindergarten students, affect the number of EAs required, said Schaffer. The EAs contract with the board runs out at the end of this August. Gurzi said contract talks involving EAs have not begun at the public board level. Caught in the middle of what she sees as an unclear situation in terms of the education of her own special needs child is parent Cindy Thompson. Her son Shane, in Grade 5 at Maplehurst elementary in Burlington, has Asperger's Syndrome, sometimes referred to as being part of the autistic spectrum disorders or pervasive development disorders. Thompson said she's heard rumours around her school that there could be changes to the number of EAs and the way they are utilized. It has her very worried. "The main issue is you can't just change EAs and rotate them among the kids. If they keep changing EAs and have them floating in the classroom, it's not going to help at all." She said they need consistent one-on-one supervision. Thompson said Shane has benefited from having the same EA for the entire school year. He had the same one for 2006-07 and has had a different one for all of '07-08. "It took many years just to get an EA. There had been no progress until the last two years. It wasn't until this year he was able to complete an assignment," she said. Meanwhile, the Halton Catholic District School Board reported recently it might give parents of children with mild intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities more options for their education. A staff report recommends the creation of congregated classes at St. John School in Oakville and St. Raphael School in Burlington for students in Grades 5-8, who have developmental disabilities. The classes would have an enrolment cap of 10 students and would be run by a special education teacher and two EAs. Students in those same grades with mild intellectual disabilities could be placed in a congregated class at Ascension School in Burlington, according to the report. Enrolment would not exceed 16 pupils, and would also be overseen by one special education teacher and two educational assistants. It is expected the board will approve the initiative so that the classes will be in place for the new school year starting this September. "Parents were informing us that students required more contained settings so they can make some gains, and we want to be able to provide that range of service because one size doesn't fit all," said Gary Mahoney, the Catholic board's superintendent of special education services. The new classes would not be mandatory, allowing parents to choose if their child would be best educated in a regular classroom or in a congregated class. The new system will reduce the number of Catholic EAs currently working with students on a oneon-one basis. -- With files from Tina Depko