Response from APSEA Board
APRIL 25, 2023 – On March 3, 2023, families received a response from APSEA’s board of directors to our previously sent briefing note and open letter, with over 80 signatures. APSEA and its board of directors, appointed by the Governments of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, continue to show utter disregard for the best interests of children and youth who are blind or partially sighted.
APSEA’s reckless actions are causing students who are blind or partially sighted to fall further behind our sighted peers. They have shared their intentions to continue with their new ‘Responsive Teaching and Learning Model’, which included eliminating vital short-term programming in Halifax, and their assessment teams.
To suggest that virtual learning is a suitable replacement for the world class in-person immersive programming students received previously at APSEA’s Halifax campus is insulting to families and students. Families have made clear to APSEA that virtual learning has but an extremely limited role to play in educating blind and partially sighted students.
Regarding assessment services, to suggest that psychoeducational assessments could be performed by school psychologists working alone, with help from already overworked itinerant teachers is absurd. APSEA’s assessment teams specialized in psychoeducational assessments AND blindness. Working only with blind and partially sighted students, they possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience no individual school district or psychologist could achieve on their own, relating to assessing blind and partially sighted children. To understand just how devastating the loss of assessment services is, I look no further than the families who have had every private psychologist turn them away, citing that they would be unable to assess their children, knowing their assessment would be inappropriate, and not a reflection of the child’s skillset. Their children now sit on multi-year waitlists in a system that is unequipped to accommodate their needs.
APSEA continues to deflect families’ grave concerns regarding the service delivery model review. Implementing a new email tracking system is wonderful, but does nothing to address the review’s failure to meet its terms of reference: “To ascertain the extent to which APSEA’s programs and services meet the needs of learners and families.” Despite the review’s clear lack of participation from the most important stakeholders -families and students- APSEA continues to implement recommendations made by the consultants amidst backlash from families.
You can view the full response from APSEA’s board of directors below.
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Connect with us to support students and families advocating for these essential programs by emailing advocacy@desk.nsssa.ca.