This article was written and Published by Bridgette Bjorlo — January 14th, 2025
The CT Dept. of Education said seven CT school districts are participating in a six-month artificial intelligence pilot program, focusing on grades 7 to 12.
HARTFORD, Conn. — This week, Connecticut leaders pledged to make special education a priority in the state budget.
Special education advocates say helping high-needs students goes beyond hiring more teachers. It requires a change in strategy when deciding where state funding goes and embracing new tools like artificial intelligence.
“The people who teach in special education, it’s a calling,” Aron Boxer said. “The people who go into these fields for the most part are really about helping the kids.”
Aron Boxer, founder and CEO of Diversified Education Services, dedicated his career to working with students with high-needs, and in Connecticut, the demand for special education teachers is at an all-time high.
“Parents feel some of their kids are not getting the special education support that they deserve,” Boxer said. “I don’t think we’re funding it enough. I think we can do better.”
In March 2023, school districts across the state reported 2,600 vacancies for teachers and instructional support. Half of those were in special education, leaving existing staff to fill in the gaps.
Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association, said it’s putting teachers on overload.
“I think there are some positions out there where we are really giving teachers more students than they could ever serve and they feel very defeated,” Dias said.
Elected leaders said in a press conference this week that the state spends a little over $11,000 per high-needs student a year, the same amount since 2013.
Not only are mayors and legislators asking the governor for more money for special education, but they are also demanding a change in how the funds are distributed, to level the playing field between urban districts and affluent areas.
“What that will hopefully do is help those underfunded districts from shouldering a disproportionate burden,” Boxer said.
Boxer said another approach he would like to see includes “a bigger push toward school choice, and I’d like to see more funds allocated to charter schools.”
“I think those have proven to be extremely successful and that will create a level of competition that will make the schools a little more accountable,” he said.
Boxer also suggested the idea of opening new public schools that specialize in addressing profound disabilities. Other advocates maintain that the focus needs to be on integration as much as possible.
“If they took the funds they contribute toward fighting special education and perhaps open some specialized schools to address those with more profound disabilities, especially those with cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, profound ADHD, ASD, autism, that would be a way to use the funds more effectively,” Boxer said.
As the teacher shortage persists across the country, some districts are leaning into artificial intelligence, with 266 U.S districts introducing a tool called “Khanmigo” in the classroom.
The technology, built with the help of Open AI, helps teachers draft lesson plans and answer student questions in real-time. Boxer said if something like this was tried in Connecticut, it could not only make learning more efficient but also free up resources for special education.
“Artificial intelligence won’t just give the answer, it will probe the child to think more, and it will also teach kids to use AI effectively and not as the number one cheating tool, and that will ensure students needs are being independently addressed without having to increase the number of professionals in the classroom,” Boxer said.
When asked about how teachers feel about AI, Dias said “there’s a role” for it.
“But I don’t think we’ve done enough in terms of professional development in that capacity, so step one is us learning more and figuring out the responsible, meaningful ways to include AI as we expand that opportunity,” Dias said.
As for whether any Connecticut schools are incorporating AI tools, the state Department of Education provided the following statement:
“The Connecticut State Department of Education has launched a six-month pilot program to integrate AI tools into classroom instruction across seven districts, focusing on grades 7-12. This initiative will provide students with hands-on experience in emerging technologies while fostering critical digital literacy and problem-solving skills. Participating districts will serve as innovation hubs, using state-approved AI tools aligned with educational standards. Additional details about the program and its goals will be released later this week.”
Bridgette Bjorlo is an anchor/reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at bbjorlo@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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