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Take Action: Help students access quality services

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Dear Friends,

We know you care deeply about making sure students with the most extensive special needs of all children in Massachusetts are given the best possible educational opportunities and resources. Right now lawmakers are deliberating the state’s budget and we are asking you to take action to ensure special education schools have the funding they need to provide these quality services.

The Problem: The state sets our tuition rates below our costs. Perkins School for the Blind is one of about 100 special education schools in Massachusetts serving a total of 6,000 special needs students. Because of state pricing policies, our tuition rates have not been keeping up with inflation and this inevitably affects the quality of services to students.

Without increasing our rates, we cannot afford to pay our teachers competitive salaries. Special education teachers are paid an average annual salary that is almost $20,000 less than that of teachers in public schools. Statewide, the turnover rate for teachers in special education schools is unacceptably high at 37% compared to 14% in public schools. Any lack of continuity can have devastating affects on the progress of students with special needs.

The Solution: Please write your legislator in support of two pieces of legislation that would help special education schools raise teaching salaries and provide educational opportunities and resources equal to public schools.

These bills would assure tuition rates are set to retain fully licensed teachers and professional staff as well as provide appropriate educational resources such as current text books, library collections, and science laboratories. One of the bills would also allow rate increases for out-of-state students without increasing costs to our local districts. At Perkins, we serve students from 12 other states.
 
Our ability to provide quality of care is directly because of the staff that work on campus, in the community and internationally. They provide great work and we want to be able to ensure continued excellence by recognizing their value.

Time is of the essence. Click here to send a letter to your representative today.  

 Sincerely,

Signature of Steven M. Rothstein

Steven M. Rothstein
President