KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — On Monday, the Knox County Board of Education was expected to hear from its new Special Education Task Force, made up of ten members. Most of them are parents.
The task force has been working on a report for months and was expected to provide five suggestions for the KCS special education department.
"I'm just thrilled that they've dispelled a lot of myths," said Kim Kedrich, a parent of a student who used to attend KCS. "They've given credence to what has been such a challenge in the past, just even communicating the basic understanding of the rights of students with disabilities, that that comes through loud and clear."
The report cites "that cultural problems exist" inside the district's special education program.
John McCook was the former KCS Director of Personnel and oversaw the special education department. He now is an associate professor and the Chair of LMU's graduate-level education department.
"Creating a culture is not something you can mandate," McCook said. "It has to end up evolving. And part of what I see, there seems to be an issue, not at the school level, but at the administrative level."
The report makes five suggestions, such as creating a new code of conduct so teachers and administration have a uniform set of expectations. It also suggests adding support for special education teachers to have more resources, including more aides and assistant teachers.
The report also suggests the Knox County Law Department not review cases against KCS.
You can review the full report here.