‘Failing’: KCK schools staff publicly quit amid mounting concerns in special education

Bethany Heintz stood before the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Board and announced her resignation, saying unresolved issues in the district’s special education department drove her to quit her dream job.

She referenced an exodus of special education staff, outlined in a recent report by the University of Kansas, reminding the elected board and district officials she was not the first to raise concerns over a system she described as in turmoil.

“Student and parental rights are being violated, and we are instructed to ignore it,” Heintz, a KCKPS bilingual speech pathologist for four years, said in her damning public remarks last month.

“Tonight I stand here speaking up for those who can’t. I hope I’m the last person who has to stand before this board and give this speech.”

She was not the last.

Last week, Jessica Davenport — an occupational therapist with the district for a single school year — also resigned in front of the school board, saying KCKPS is “failing to provide adequate special education services to our kids.” She encouraged officials to promptly enact real change and stem the hemorrhage of “incredible staff members” leaving for other jobs.

District officials have acknowledged those worries, saying work is progressing to build trust with current employees, improve retention and recruit new hires for open positions. They met with KU last week to discuss next steps, and another meeting with members of the special education department is slated for June.

“Our goal is to create a culture of continuous improvement where every member of our team feels valued, supported, and empowered to make a difference in the lives of our students,” Superintendent Anna Stubblefield said in a recent memo to staff, which was shared with The Star.

The latest resignations come amid the release of a new evaluation of the special education department that paints a bleak picture of the increasingly strained system.

The April report by KU’s Center for Evaluation and Educational Leadership said “mass resignations” in the past four years are plaguing the department, rooted in disagreements over policy changes and a feeling of disrespect.

The district has relied on outsourcing and hiring virtual staff to fill roles, the report says, causing challenges adhering to policies and state laws.

The report also highlights issues with training, a lack of trust and dysfunctional communication in the department, making it more difficult to appropriately address students’ needs.

In focus groups organized by the university, the terms “vindictive” and “retaliatory” frequently came up in the description of tensions between staff members and program coordinators.

Recommendations outlined in the report include developing a long-term vision plan for the department and communicating with department personnel to address challenges.

The latest report comes roughly two years after KU conducted a larger-scale analysis of KCKPS operations. Some of the recommendations outlined in the April report mirror ones that were presented in 2022 — a point some school board members raised.

“I more or less am continually frustrated by the lack of change in the department and how we have to continue to outsource our services because we cannot keep staff,” Rachel Russell, a KCKPS board member, said during the April meeting after the report had been finalized.

Board member Wanda Brownlee Paige called the latest report “mind-boggling.”

“We don’t want to keep losing people,” she added, advocating for getting everyone to “sit down and work it out.”

It’s a challenging time in special education across Kansas and the country, as districts have reported record staffing shortages in recent years. The KU report says urban districts including KCK have been especially hard hit, suffering “unacceptable levels of vacancies.”

Districts in the state also say challenges have mounted over a more than decade-long underfunding of special education in Kansas. After years of advocates pleading for lawmakers to fully fund special education, Gov. Laura Kelly earlier this month signed a K-12 budget that provides an additional $75.5 million earmarked for special education, a first step toward meeting the state’s statutory obligations.

Additional dollars to help KCKPS address its challenges with special education are welcomed, said Dominick DeRosa, president of KCK’s teachers union.

Two years ago DeRosa formed a group with special education teachers to learn about the problems they face and help support them. He said those conversations with the district are ongoing and teachers are committed to work through the summer to find solutions before the next school year begins.

“There is a shortage of staff coming to KCK, and that is a concern,” DeRosa said. “And we are dedicated to work with the district to improve the retention of our staff, because retaining our excellent staff will ensure that our students get the education that they deserve.”

Stubblefield told staff in the recent memo that the district will continue its partnership with KU. She said the district aims to develop a plan to ensure the system is meeting the needs of students, clarify roles and responsibilities within the department, and find ways to improve employee recruitment and retention.

“Together, we will chart a path forward that ensures every child receives the exceptional education they deserve,” the superintendent told staff.