Petition for Improved Exceptional Student Education Staffing, Safety, and Accountability
Petition for Improved Exceptional Student Education Staffing, Safety, and Accountability
The Issue
Petition for Improved Exceptional Student Education Staffing, Safety, and Accountability in Brevard Public Schools
Petition for Improved Exceptional Student Education Staffing, Safety, and Accountability in Brevard Public Schools
To: The School Board of Brevard County, Superintendent, and District Leadership
Organized by: Fiona Hall
Location: Brevard County, Florida
Our Children Deserve the Support They Need to Succeed
We, the undersigned parents, caregivers, educators, and concerned community members, call upon Brevard Public Schools (BPS) to take meaningful action to improve Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programs throughout the district.
According to BPS's October 21, 2026, enrollment data, approximately 14,706 students—20.3% of district enrollment—are enrolled in Exceptional Student Education.
These students have diverse educational, developmental, physical, behavioral, and communication needs. Their education requires appropriate staffing, individualized accommodations, safe learning environments, and access to qualified professionals.
We recognize the dedication of ESE teachers and paraprofessionals. However, educators cannot be expected to meet increasingly complex student needs without sufficient staffing, specialized training, and district support.
Our concerns began with ESE Pre-K staffing and classroom capacity at Imperial Estates Elementary School. We believe these concerns warrant a broader districtwide review to ensure all students receiving ESE services have meaningful access to an appropriate education.
We respectfully request the following changes.
1. Establish Smaller ESE Class Sizes and Appropriate Staffing Ratios
We request that BPS establish districtwide staffing standards for self-contained ESE classrooms that account for students' individual needs rather than relying solely on enrollment numbers.
Specifically, we propose:
- A target maximum of 12 students in self-contained ESE Pre-K classrooms, with smaller groups when student needs require them.
- A target of at least one trained instructional adult for every four students in these classrooms, with additional staff when warranted.
- At least one qualified ESE teacher and two instructional paraprofessionals in a classroom of 12 students.
- Additional individualized support when required by student IEPs.
- Regular reviews of classroom enrollment, staffing adequacy, and student safety.
- Restoration or expansion of classroom positions when enrollment or student needs exceed the capacity of existing programs.
Staffing determinations should account for communication needs, behavioral challenges, elopement risks, medical conditions, personal care requirements, and the level of individualized instruction students require.
These proposed ratios should serve as a starting point, not a ceiling on the support available to children with more intensive needs.
2. Provide Dedicated Behavioral Technicians in Self-Contained ESE Classrooms
We request that BPS establish a districtwide standard for assigning at least one dedicated, trained behavioral technician to every self-contained ESE classroom, with additional personnel where student needs justify them.
We also request consistent access to behavioral specialists for ESE students receiving instruction in general education classrooms.
Behavioral technicians should provide proactive classroom support, including:
- Teaching and reinforcing functional communication.
- Helping children develop emotional regulation and coping skills.
- Recognizing signs of sensory overload, frustration, and distress.
- Implementing individualized Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs).
- Collecting behavioral data to improve intervention strategies.
- Supporting positive peer interactions and classroom participation.
- Intervening safely when behaviors present risks to students or staff.
- Collaborating with teachers, paraprofessionals, families, and qualified behavior analysts.
Behavioral support should not be limited to responding to severe incidents. Early intervention and skill development can benefit the entire learning environment.
These positions must supplement existing classroom staff, not replace teachers, aides, or 1:1 assistance required under individual IEPs.
BPS already recognizes behavioral technician positions. We are requesting that the district expand access to this valuable support throughout its ESE programs.
3. Strengthen IEP Implementation and Individualized Accommodations
Every eligible student is entitled to an Individualized Education Program designed to address their unique educational needs.
We request stronger districtwide accountability for implementing IEPs, including:
- Consistent delivery of documented accommodations, services, and specialized instruction.
- Appropriate access to sensory equipment, adaptive tools, communication devices, and other supports identified by IEP teams.
- Adequate supervision and individualized assistance during academic activities, transitions, meals, toileting, recess, and other school activities.
- Timely behavioral assessments and intervention planning when student needs indicate they are necessary.
- Improved coordination among teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals, behavioral professionals, and families.
- Clear procedures for addressing missed services and correcting failures to implement IEP requirements.
- Additional training for all personnel responsible for implementing student accommodations.
Staffing limitations should never become a reason to disregard a student's legally required services.
We request that BPS establish regular, documented procedures for reviewing IEP implementation and resolving concerns raised by families.
4. Improve Student Safety and Behavioral Crisis Prevention
Students with disabilities may require additional supervision and specialized safety planning.
We request that BPS conduct regular safety assessments of ESE classrooms, playgrounds, and transitions between school activities.
These assessments should consider:
- Elopement and unsafe access to school exits or outdoor boundaries.
- Aggression, self-injury, and other behaviors presenting safety concerns.
- Adequate supervision during toileting, changing, meals, and rest periods.
- Accessible sensory-regulation areas and appropriate equipment.
- Staff training in prevention, de-escalation, and safe crisis response.
- Appropriate documentation and parent notification of significant safety incidents.
Students should receive supportive, individualized interventions rather than unnecessarily punitive responses to disability-related behaviors.
5. Protect Outdoor Play, Recess, and Movement Opportunities
Outdoor play and physical activity support children's physical, social, emotional, and developmental growth.
We request that BPS ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to playgrounds, recess, movement activities, and age-appropriate recreation.
Specifically, we request:
- Compliance with Florida's recess requirements for applicable K–5 students.
- Developmentally appropriate outdoor play opportunities for ESE Pre-K students.
- Accessible playground equipment and safe recreational environments.
- Sufficient staffing to safely supervise students with complex needs.
- Individualized accommodations allowing students with disabilities to participate.
- Clear policies preventing routine exclusion from play because of disability-related challenges, concerns about children becoming dirty, or insufficient planning for supervision.
Recreation and movement should be meaningful parts of the school experience for students with disabilities.
6. Address ESE Enrollment, Classroom Capacity, and School Placement
We request an immediate review of ESE Pre-K classroom capacity at Imperial Estates Elementary and a districtwide assessment of enrollment planning.
Families have raised concerns regarding classroom consolidation, the reduction of teaching positions, and increasing student enrollment during the school year.
BPS must account for students entering ESE programs after the beginning of the school year rather than relying exclusively on initial enrollment counts.
We request:
- A review of the reduction of ESE Pre-K classroom positions at Imperial Estates.
- Restoration of an additional ESE Pre-K classroom and qualified teaching position when warranted by enrollment and student needs.
- Publicly available enrollment projections for ESE programs throughout the school year.
- Clear staffing and capacity thresholds that trigger additional classroom positions.
- Advance planning for children becoming eligible for ESE Pre-K during the academic year.
- A review of the educational and family impacts of redirecting children to more distant schools because local programs have reached capacity.
- Consideration of transportation time, family accessibility, student transitions, and continuity of services when assigning school placements.
A districtwide decrease in general enrollment should not automatically justify reducing staffing in ESE classrooms experiencing continued demand or more intensive student needs.
7. Improve ESE Staff Support, Training, and Retention
Supporting students also requires supporting the educators and professionals responsible for their care.
We request that BPS:
- Evaluate ESE staff workloads, vacancies, and turnover.
- Provide continuing training in autism, communication differences, sensory needs, positive behavioral intervention, and de-escalation.
- Ensure that staff receive assistance when student needs exceed available classroom resources.
- Develop stronger recruitment and retention strategies for ESE teachers, paraprofessionals, and behavioral professionals.
- Establish confidential opportunities for educators to report staffing and safety concerns.
- Include ESE staff feedback when developing district staffing policies.
Teachers deserve the time, staffing, and resources necessary to teach effectively. Students deserve educators who can work in safe, sustainable environments.
8. Increase Financial Transparency and District Accountability
We request greater transparency regarding how BPS allocates and spends resources for Exceptional Student Education.
Specifically, we request publicly available, school-level and districtwide information concerning:
- ESE program budgets, funding sources, and expenditures.
- Authorized, filled, and vacant ESE staffing positions.
- Numbers and assignments of district-employed behavioral technicians and behavior analysts.
- ESE classroom enrollment and staffing ratios.
- Funds allocated for specialized services, assistive technology, training, and classroom support.
- ESE staffing changes and the criteria used to approve or eliminate positions.
- Districtwide spending comparisons with appropriately selected Florida and national peer districts.
We further request an independently reviewed assessment of whether current ESE staffing and resource allocation adequately meet documented student needs, with findings presented publicly.
Our request is for transparency, responsible stewardship, and evidence-based improvements—not an assumption that financial wrongdoing has occurred.
9. Establish Meaningful Parent Involvement and Public Reporting
Parents and caregivers are essential partners in their children's education.
We request that BPS create additional opportunities for families to participate in decisions affecting ESE programs.
These should include:
- Regular opportunities for ESE families to provide districtwide feedback.
- Parent representation in reviews of proposed ESE staffing standards.
- Accessible procedures for raising concerns and obtaining written responses.
- Public progress reports on staffing, program capacity, and recommended improvements.
- Clear communication before significant classroom or program restructuring.
We ask that BPS provide a written response to this petition within 30 calendar days of receipt, identifying which proposals it will consider, the departments responsible, and the anticipated timeline for a public review.
Our Request to the School Board
We are not asking for preferential treatment.
We are asking Brevard Public Schools to recognize that educating children with disabilities requires thoughtful planning, individualized support, appropriate staffing, and accountability.
Our children should not have to experience preventable educational setbacks or safety incidents before additional support is considered.
When ESE classrooms are appropriately staffed, children have more opportunities to learn, communicate, regulate emotions, develop independence, and participate meaningfully in school.
Teachers are better equipped to teach. Paraprofessionals can provide more effective support. Families can have greater confidence in their children's educational environments.
We urge the School Board of Brevard County and district leadership to publicly review these requests, engage families and educators, and establish a measurable improvement plan for ESE services throughout the district.
Every child deserves an appropriate education. Every educator deserves the resources to provide one. Every family deserves to be heard.
Please sign this petition to support improved ESE staffing, student safety, individualized services, and accountability in Brevard Public Schools.
---
Organized by: Sensory Support Foundation
Let's stim together.
Petition addressed to: The School Board of Brevard County, Florida, and Brevard Public Schools District Leadership
Supporting signatures: Brevard County parents, caregivers, educators, and community members.
12
The Issue
Petition for Improved Exceptional Student Education Staffing, Safety, and Accountability in Brevard Public Schools
Petition for Improved Exceptional Student Education Staffing, Safety, and Accountability in Brevard Public Schools
To: The School Board of Brevard County, Superintendent, and District Leadership
Organized by: Fiona Hall
Location: Brevard County, Florida
Our Children Deserve the Support They Need to Succeed
We, the undersigned parents, caregivers, educators, and concerned community members, call upon Brevard Public Schools (BPS) to take meaningful action to improve Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programs throughout the district.
According to BPS's October 21, 2026, enrollment data, approximately 14,706 students—20.3% of district enrollment—are enrolled in Exceptional Student Education.
These students have diverse educational, developmental, physical, behavioral, and communication needs. Their education requires appropriate staffing, individualized accommodations, safe learning environments, and access to qualified professionals.
We recognize the dedication of ESE teachers and paraprofessionals. However, educators cannot be expected to meet increasingly complex student needs without sufficient staffing, specialized training, and district support.
Our concerns began with ESE Pre-K staffing and classroom capacity at Imperial Estates Elementary School. We believe these concerns warrant a broader districtwide review to ensure all students receiving ESE services have meaningful access to an appropriate education.
We respectfully request the following changes.
1. Establish Smaller ESE Class Sizes and Appropriate Staffing Ratios
We request that BPS establish districtwide staffing standards for self-contained ESE classrooms that account for students' individual needs rather than relying solely on enrollment numbers.
Specifically, we propose:
- A target maximum of 12 students in self-contained ESE Pre-K classrooms, with smaller groups when student needs require them.
- A target of at least one trained instructional adult for every four students in these classrooms, with additional staff when warranted.
- At least one qualified ESE teacher and two instructional paraprofessionals in a classroom of 12 students.
- Additional individualized support when required by student IEPs.
- Regular reviews of classroom enrollment, staffing adequacy, and student safety.
- Restoration or expansion of classroom positions when enrollment or student needs exceed the capacity of existing programs.
Staffing determinations should account for communication needs, behavioral challenges, elopement risks, medical conditions, personal care requirements, and the level of individualized instruction students require.
These proposed ratios should serve as a starting point, not a ceiling on the support available to children with more intensive needs.
2. Provide Dedicated Behavioral Technicians in Self-Contained ESE Classrooms
We request that BPS establish a districtwide standard for assigning at least one dedicated, trained behavioral technician to every self-contained ESE classroom, with additional personnel where student needs justify them.
We also request consistent access to behavioral specialists for ESE students receiving instruction in general education classrooms.
Behavioral technicians should provide proactive classroom support, including:
- Teaching and reinforcing functional communication.
- Helping children develop emotional regulation and coping skills.
- Recognizing signs of sensory overload, frustration, and distress.
- Implementing individualized Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs).
- Collecting behavioral data to improve intervention strategies.
- Supporting positive peer interactions and classroom participation.
- Intervening safely when behaviors present risks to students or staff.
- Collaborating with teachers, paraprofessionals, families, and qualified behavior analysts.
Behavioral support should not be limited to responding to severe incidents. Early intervention and skill development can benefit the entire learning environment.
These positions must supplement existing classroom staff, not replace teachers, aides, or 1:1 assistance required under individual IEPs.
BPS already recognizes behavioral technician positions. We are requesting that the district expand access to this valuable support throughout its ESE programs.
3. Strengthen IEP Implementation and Individualized Accommodations
Every eligible student is entitled to an Individualized Education Program designed to address their unique educational needs.
We request stronger districtwide accountability for implementing IEPs, including:
- Consistent delivery of documented accommodations, services, and specialized instruction.
- Appropriate access to sensory equipment, adaptive tools, communication devices, and other supports identified by IEP teams.
- Adequate supervision and individualized assistance during academic activities, transitions, meals, toileting, recess, and other school activities.
- Timely behavioral assessments and intervention planning when student needs indicate they are necessary.
- Improved coordination among teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals, behavioral professionals, and families.
- Clear procedures for addressing missed services and correcting failures to implement IEP requirements.
- Additional training for all personnel responsible for implementing student accommodations.
Staffing limitations should never become a reason to disregard a student's legally required services.
We request that BPS establish regular, documented procedures for reviewing IEP implementation and resolving concerns raised by families.
4. Improve Student Safety and Behavioral Crisis Prevention
Students with disabilities may require additional supervision and specialized safety planning.
We request that BPS conduct regular safety assessments of ESE classrooms, playgrounds, and transitions between school activities.
These assessments should consider:
- Elopement and unsafe access to school exits or outdoor boundaries.
- Aggression, self-injury, and other behaviors presenting safety concerns.
- Adequate supervision during toileting, changing, meals, and rest periods.
- Accessible sensory-regulation areas and appropriate equipment.
- Staff training in prevention, de-escalation, and safe crisis response.
- Appropriate documentation and parent notification of significant safety incidents.
Students should receive supportive, individualized interventions rather than unnecessarily punitive responses to disability-related behaviors.
5. Protect Outdoor Play, Recess, and Movement Opportunities
Outdoor play and physical activity support children's physical, social, emotional, and developmental growth.
We request that BPS ensure students with disabilities have equitable access to playgrounds, recess, movement activities, and age-appropriate recreation.
Specifically, we request:
- Compliance with Florida's recess requirements for applicable K–5 students.
- Developmentally appropriate outdoor play opportunities for ESE Pre-K students.
- Accessible playground equipment and safe recreational environments.
- Sufficient staffing to safely supervise students with complex needs.
- Individualized accommodations allowing students with disabilities to participate.
- Clear policies preventing routine exclusion from play because of disability-related challenges, concerns about children becoming dirty, or insufficient planning for supervision.
Recreation and movement should be meaningful parts of the school experience for students with disabilities.
6. Address ESE Enrollment, Classroom Capacity, and School Placement
We request an immediate review of ESE Pre-K classroom capacity at Imperial Estates Elementary and a districtwide assessment of enrollment planning.
Families have raised concerns regarding classroom consolidation, the reduction of teaching positions, and increasing student enrollment during the school year.
BPS must account for students entering ESE programs after the beginning of the school year rather than relying exclusively on initial enrollment counts.
We request:
- A review of the reduction of ESE Pre-K classroom positions at Imperial Estates.
- Restoration of an additional ESE Pre-K classroom and qualified teaching position when warranted by enrollment and student needs.
- Publicly available enrollment projections for ESE programs throughout the school year.
- Clear staffing and capacity thresholds that trigger additional classroom positions.
- Advance planning for children becoming eligible for ESE Pre-K during the academic year.
- A review of the educational and family impacts of redirecting children to more distant schools because local programs have reached capacity.
- Consideration of transportation time, family accessibility, student transitions, and continuity of services when assigning school placements.
A districtwide decrease in general enrollment should not automatically justify reducing staffing in ESE classrooms experiencing continued demand or more intensive student needs.
7. Improve ESE Staff Support, Training, and Retention
Supporting students also requires supporting the educators and professionals responsible for their care.
We request that BPS:
- Evaluate ESE staff workloads, vacancies, and turnover.
- Provide continuing training in autism, communication differences, sensory needs, positive behavioral intervention, and de-escalation.
- Ensure that staff receive assistance when student needs exceed available classroom resources.
- Develop stronger recruitment and retention strategies for ESE teachers, paraprofessionals, and behavioral professionals.
- Establish confidential opportunities for educators to report staffing and safety concerns.
- Include ESE staff feedback when developing district staffing policies.
Teachers deserve the time, staffing, and resources necessary to teach effectively. Students deserve educators who can work in safe, sustainable environments.
8. Increase Financial Transparency and District Accountability
We request greater transparency regarding how BPS allocates and spends resources for Exceptional Student Education.
Specifically, we request publicly available, school-level and districtwide information concerning:
- ESE program budgets, funding sources, and expenditures.
- Authorized, filled, and vacant ESE staffing positions.
- Numbers and assignments of district-employed behavioral technicians and behavior analysts.
- ESE classroom enrollment and staffing ratios.
- Funds allocated for specialized services, assistive technology, training, and classroom support.
- ESE staffing changes and the criteria used to approve or eliminate positions.
- Districtwide spending comparisons with appropriately selected Florida and national peer districts.
We further request an independently reviewed assessment of whether current ESE staffing and resource allocation adequately meet documented student needs, with findings presented publicly.
Our request is for transparency, responsible stewardship, and evidence-based improvements—not an assumption that financial wrongdoing has occurred.
9. Establish Meaningful Parent Involvement and Public Reporting
Parents and caregivers are essential partners in their children's education.
We request that BPS create additional opportunities for families to participate in decisions affecting ESE programs.
These should include:
- Regular opportunities for ESE families to provide districtwide feedback.
- Parent representation in reviews of proposed ESE staffing standards.
- Accessible procedures for raising concerns and obtaining written responses.
- Public progress reports on staffing, program capacity, and recommended improvements.
- Clear communication before significant classroom or program restructuring.
We ask that BPS provide a written response to this petition within 30 calendar days of receipt, identifying which proposals it will consider, the departments responsible, and the anticipated timeline for a public review.
Our Request to the School Board
We are not asking for preferential treatment.
We are asking Brevard Public Schools to recognize that educating children with disabilities requires thoughtful planning, individualized support, appropriate staffing, and accountability.
Our children should not have to experience preventable educational setbacks or safety incidents before additional support is considered.
When ESE classrooms are appropriately staffed, children have more opportunities to learn, communicate, regulate emotions, develop independence, and participate meaningfully in school.
Teachers are better equipped to teach. Paraprofessionals can provide more effective support. Families can have greater confidence in their children's educational environments.
We urge the School Board of Brevard County and district leadership to publicly review these requests, engage families and educators, and establish a measurable improvement plan for ESE services throughout the district.
Every child deserves an appropriate education. Every educator deserves the resources to provide one. Every family deserves to be heard.
Please sign this petition to support improved ESE staffing, student safety, individualized services, and accountability in Brevard Public Schools.
---
Organized by: Sensory Support Foundation
Let's stim together.
Petition addressed to: The School Board of Brevard County, Florida, and Brevard Public Schools District Leadership
Supporting signatures: Brevard County parents, caregivers, educators, and community members.
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Petition created on October 22, 2026