Fayette County BOE Doesn’t Understand the Assignment

Fayette County Schools continues to face a growing crisis in its Exceptional Children’s Services (ECS) program — and district leadership doesn’t understand the assignment. As of last Friday, there were 17 open ECS positions listed on the county job board.

A little history helps explain why that number matters. In 1975, Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act — later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) — guaranteeing every child with a disability the right to a free and appropriate public education. It also created an ongoing need for qualified special education teachers and support staff.

By the early 1990s, the federal government was already tracking “teacher shortage areas,” and special education has been on that list every year since. Demand has consistently outpaced supply. A 2019 study found that roughly one in five special education teachers leaves the profession each year. Against that backdrop, it’s troubling to hear Fayette’s HR department issue reports that show little understanding of the problem’s magnitude.

Students with disabilities thrive when schools provide:
– Tailored learning plans (IEPs)
– Differentiated instruction
– Specially trained teachers and paraprofessionals
– Staff consistency
– Inclusion and peer interaction
– Collaboration with families
– Sensory-friendly spaces
– High expectations and emotional support

At the Oct. 20 Board of Education meeting, the district reported that it posts both immediate and “standing” job openings without distinguishing between them. That practice is misleading to applicants and parents. It creates false transparency by suggesting positions are open when they aren’t, and it obscures whether staffing problems actually exist. When the same postings remain for months or years, it signals instability, poor working conditions, and weak management — while giving the public a false narrative.

Even more concerning, the district acknowledged that many paraprofessional positions in ECS are now filled through outside staffing agencies. That should alarm every taxpayer and every family of a student with disabilities. Staffing isn’t a box to check — it’s the backbone of a school. Relying on temp agencies instead of building a stable, qualified workforce is short-sighted and ethically wrong. What temp agency has ever become a positive solution?

Contracting may help the district appear “in compliance,” but compliance is not the same as quality. Agency workers rarely receive adequate orientation or training in behavioral, sensory, or medical needs. They don’t have benefits, and they often rotate in and out of classrooms, creating turnover that disrupts student progress. When contractors fail to deliver required services, the result can be violations of a child’s IEP and of federal law.

District leaders justify this approach as “augmenting staff,” but it’s really a symptom of a system running on fumes. It may look efficient on paper — fewer benefits, less HR paperwork — but it sacrifices the quality and continuity these students deserve. The result is exhausted full-time staff trying to hold the program together while temporary workers cycle through.

And let’s be honest: posting unnecessary jobs on the county website and waiting for applicants to appear is not recruitment. It’s theater. Real recruitment means outreach, relationship-building, mentoring, incentives, and competitive pay — not simply sending someone to a job fair with a stack of flyers. Finding great educators requires work.

Students with disabilities don’t thrive with a revolving cast. They need stability, relationships, and professionals who are invested in their success. Substituting temporary workers for trained educators isn’t innovation — it’s abdication.

Other Georgia districts are showing how to do better. Some have launched “grow-your-own” programs that help paraprofessionals earn teaching credentials while remaining in their schools. Others offer retention stipends, mentoring, or smaller caseloads to prevent burnout. Those are sustainable strategies. Posting vacancies and outsourcing to staffing agencies are not.

Yes, there’s a national shortage — but using that as an excuse is leadership malpractice. Fayette County is one of the best-funded districts in Georgia, yet it continues to lose qualified special education staff to neighboring systems that offer better pay, better support, and more respect.

If the Board truly wants to turn this around, it should start with transparency. Publish monthly staffing data showing how many positions are filled by contractors versus district employees. Families deserve to know the difference between “services provided” and “students actually served.” Be honest about which job postings represent real vacancies and which are standing listings.

Then, invest in people. Create career pathways for paraprofessionals, offer competitive pay, and strengthen professional development. Stop treating special education positions as interchangeable placeholders. These staff are the foundation of success for our most vulnerable students, and they deserve to be treated that way.

Fayette County’s students with disabilities deserve consistency, not contingency. They deserve educators who will still be there tomorrow — not a revolving door of agency contractors. Until the district puts stability and trained educators at the center of its plan, no amount of “augmentation” will hide what this truly is: neglect by design.

Chip Glazier, Peachtree City