Dr. Monty Helfgott started working in the district on July 1 to take on the newly created position of Inclusion Facilitator for Montclair Public Schools. Prior, he held the same position in the Bloomfield School district and before that he worked in various roles in the field of special education, such as special education teacher, school psychologist, a Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDTC). The district created the position of Inclusion Facilitator as a need in its effort to bring the many special education “out of district” students back to “in district.”
Linda B. Mithaug, the Director of Pupil Services for the district, shared some statistics on Montclair’s Special Education program:
We currently have approximately 1,100 special education students in the district with a total student enrollment of 6,799. The average cost of sending a student out of district is $60,000 plus transportation. The costs of educating that same student in district will vary depending on their individual needs that are identified in the IEP.
Our budgeted average special education per pupil cost for 2012-2013 is $20,351, however this number can increase depending on the need for supplementary aides and services for each student.
I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Helfgott last week at central office to find out more about what an Inclusion Facilitator does and what it means for Montclair Public Schools.
Barista Kids: What is the purpose of an Inclusion Facilitator?
Dr. Helfgott: My primary job is to focus on inclusion within the district, which is 1) Trying to move students, when appropriate, out of self-contained programs to mainstreamed classrooms and 2) To see which students, who are currently out of district, can be brought back to the district when appropriate and making sure we can provide them with the right accommodations.
Dr. Helfgott explained that there are some students who need to go out of district so their needs can be accommodated appropriately. He mentioned that there are 300 out of district facilities in the state of New Jersey alone. However, the district is making an effort to bring some students back with the right support. It’s Dr. Helfgott’s job to make sure that this happens when appropriate and in the student’s best interest.
BK: Tell me more about the what goes into the process of inclusion for a special needs child.
Dr. Helfgott: It’s a process that involves:
- understanding the parents
- understanding what the student needs
- dealing with the out of district facility
- dealing with the district – it has or be ready to accommodate the student
- making sure there are well-prepared teachers in the district
- making sure they have the right attitude
- making sure they have staff to support them
- preparing the child for the transition appropriately. In some instances it may take a year of working towards inclusion to transition the student in the best way
On a personal note, I worked in Special Education as a Teacher Assistant and Teacher for 12 years. Other than one year, I taught in “out of district” schools, so I’m very familiar with Dr. Helfgott and what his position entails. As a former educator, I asked Dr. Helfgott about his, and the district’s plans, to prepare General Education teachers to work with Special Education students. Dr. Helfgott explained that this was key and that he would be working with Montclair State University to obtain grants for training and support for general education teachers, aides, special education teachers so that they can work together and offer the students a full education. Dr. Helfgott also explained that the State is offering a Dual Teaching certification for General Special Education, which offers the most well-rounded and needed degree a teacher needs today.
BK: What is your number one goal for this, your first year, as Inclusion Facilitator?
Dr. Helfgott: To get to know the district, each school, the child study team, all the programs, before I do anything, You need to understand the dynamics. People need to get to know me and trust my judgement so I have cooperation.
Here are several workshops for parents to attend that Dr. Helfgott asked us to share:
Montcair SEPAC’s Training Events
Who: Parents.
What: A series of three events:
- IEP Development on Saturday, September 29 from 1 pm – 3 pm
- Challenging Behavior Supports on Saturday, October 6 from 1 pm – 3 pm
- Inclusion/LRE on Saturday, October 13 from 1 pm – 3 pm
Where: Montclair Public Lubrary, 50 So. Fullerton Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07042
Cost: Free. Childcare service availble. Call 973.744.0500 for more information
Inclusion Mini-Conference for Families
Who: Parents
What: A workshop for families sponsored by Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) Start Project.
Where: Bullock Elementary School, 55 Washington Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
When: Saturday, October 20 from 9 am – 12:30 pm
Cost: Free. Register online here.
Any word on who took his spot in Bloomfield or was that position eliminated?