Schools Vet Special Education Leaders

The Cambridge School Committee interviewed two candidates for Executive Director of Special Education in a sparsely attended special session on Tuesday evening, but as of yesterday had not yet announced its decision. The committee interviewed a third candidate last week.

The Executive Director of Special Education is charged with coordinating special education programs throughout Cambridge’s 13 schools.

In the 2003-2004 school year, 21.2 percent of the district’s children participated in special education programs, according to Massachusetts Department of Education statistics published in the Boston Globe.

After the two interviews, the committee met in executive session to decide which candidate will take the position next fall. Reeves said the committee would make its offer public as soon as possible.

Both candidates interviewed last night pushed for policies that would integrate children with disabilities with other students.

“My vision would be to have less defined distinctions between general education and special education,” Markay L. Winston, director of the Department of Student Services for the Cincinnati Public Schools, said. “We can educate all of our children without labels.”

Her competitor, Steven K. Kaplan, who works for the Clinton school district, went further.

“I strongly believe that special education is not really special,” Kaplan said.

“It’s just good teaching.”

“I think we all have special needs,” he added.

The questions also focused on the problems of special education in a financially and racially diverse school district.

“Cambridge seems to have an embarrassment of riches,” Reeves said. “But on the other hand it has all the problems of urban America.”

School committee member Luc Schuster said that all three candidates were impressive. The third candidate was Aida Ramos, assistant program director for the Boston Public Schools.

“I think we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the candidates and I’m optimistic that we’ll have a good director of special education this fall,” Schuster said.

Winston said that she was enthusiastic about the Cambridge school system, but said that she had had a long day of interviews.

“It’s been a very overwhelming day, it’s been a very challenging day, it’s been a very stimulating day,” Winston said. “It’s been a very good day. It’s been a very aggressive day, a very busy day, but I feel I have a much better grasp of all the wonderful things that are going on here.”