As the staff who often work most closely with students with special needs, classified must know about their students’ needs and accommodations. Now, all classified staff assigned to work with a special education student will have access to the relevant information they need in the student’s individualized education plan (IEP) and/or 504 plan. Classified staff will be included on IEP teams for their students, invited to IEP meetings and consulted on changes to the student’s IEP. Districts must also provide employer-paid training for all staff assigned to work with special education students.
SB 756 will improve the quality of education for students with special needs by helping every staff person they work with know what the student needs and how best to support them. It also protects staff by providing training and information about working with high needs students. Importantly, it applies not only to special education assistants but all classified staff assigned to work with these students — including bus drivers, cafeteria workers and office staff.