Adaptive Learning Ecosystem Group LLC

St. Johns County School District is facing a $23 million budget deficit — and your child with an IEP or 504 plan is about to feel it!

Class sizes are increasing. Over 150 staff positions have been cut. Special education services are being “realigned” — without meaningful input from parents.

Here’s what that means in plain language: schools under financial pressure routinely reduce the services written into IEPs.
-They move kids out of smaller settings.
-They cut aides.
-They consolidate programs.
-And most parents don’t find out until it’s already done — and signed.
They have been making decisions at the district level rather than at the child level.

I’m Dr. Heather Dunham. I have a PhD in Educational Leadership, I’m a certified Director of Special Education, and I spent years working inside school districts — including during budget crises exactly like this one.

I know what they’re allowed to do. I know what they’re NOT allowed to do. And I know how to fight for your child.

If your child has an IEP or 504, do not wait. The changes are coming this fall.

📞 Free 20-minute consultation — limited spots this month.
Call or text: 608-215-4178
Book online: learningecosystemgroup.com
Share this. Every special needs family in St. Johns County needs to see it. ⬇️

learningecosystemgroup.com

It’s IEP season—so let’s be clear.

If goals are not being met, services must change.
That does not mean reducing support. It means the approach to specially designed instruction isn’t working.

Too often, we repeat:

* the same interventions
* the same materials
* the same structures

…and expect different outcomes.

That’s not alignment—that’s compliance.

Canned interventions are not specially designed instruction.
Real instruction is designed, responsive, and adjusted based on progress.

And it requires time to collaborate.

If outcomes aren’t changing, your system isn’t aligned.
Let’s fix that. Kids deserve better! Book time with us!

It’s that time of year-do not fail another child!

Across schools, teams are meeting to make decisions about next year—classroom placements, supports, and what students will need to be successful. These moments matter more than we often realize. They are not just logistical decisions—they are defining opportunities.

Too often, I’ve seen these conversations miss the mark.

When decisions are driven by deficit thinking—what a student can’t do, where they’ve struggled, what hasn’t worked—we unintentionally narrow what is possible. We plan for maintenance instead of growth. We design for compliance instead of belonging.

But transitions can—and should—be powerful turning points.

At Adaptive Learning Ecosystem Group, we partner with school teams to:

Reframe student needs through an asset-based lens

Align supports across systems (general education, special education, behavior, literacy)

Design transitions that expand—not limit—opportunity

And for families—your voice matters.

We collaborate with parents to ensure that transition decisions reflect the full picture of your child—strengths, potential, and the conditions they need to thrive.

Every year that deficit narratives go unchallenged is a year of opportunity lost.

Let’s do this differently.

Let’s design transitions that open doors.

Good literacy instruction should not feel like finding an Easter egg.

It shouldn’t be hidden.
It shouldn’t depend on luck.
And it certainly shouldn’t require students to “figure it out” on their own.

Do you know the difference between specially designed instruction, placement, supplementary aides and services? No, well you are not alone. Most school administrators do not either—so how do students get access to the educational system? School personnel and parents work with us! Call us today to move towards meaningful education.

Children with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) are often some of the most misunderstood students in our schools.

Let’s be clear:
SLD does NOT mean low intelligence.

In fact, by definition, students identified with a Specific Learning Disability typically have average or above-average IQ.

So what’s actually happening?

These students have difficulty processing certain types of information—like reading, writing, or math—but their ability to think, reason, create, problem-solve, and understand complex ideas is absolutely intact.

That’s why you might see a child who can:
✔ Explain big ideas out loud
✔ Build, design, or problem-solve at high levels
✔ Ask insightful, complex questions

…but struggle to:
✖ Read fluently
✖ Write clearly
✖ Memorize math facts

This is not a motivation issue.
This is not a behavior issue.
And it is NOT a reflection of intelligence.

It’s a mismatch between how they learn and how they are being taught.

The goal of special education is not to “fix” the child—
It’s to provide the right supports so their intelligence can actually be accessed and demonstrated.

If your child has an SLD, they are not behind in ability—
They are being asked to learn in a system that wasn’t designed for how their brain works.

And that’s where leadership, teachers, and parents combine powers to create an environment that works!

St John’s county Special Education Parents—Don’t Wait Until Services Change

Right now in St. Johns County:

▪️ ESY is being limited to two locations
▪️ 1:1 aide support is under review

If your child has an IEP, these changes could directly affect their services.

And here’s the reality:
Most parents won’t know how to respond until after decisions are already made.

I’m hosting a live webinar for special education families so you understand:

→ What’s happening
→ What it means for your child
→ What you can do right now

Did you know most school administrators receive little to no training in special education?

In many principal preparation programs, special education is barely addressed—if it is covered at all. Most graduate programs do not require a dedicated course on special education law, services, or IEP implementation.

What does this mean in practice?

It means the people responsible for overseeing special education programs are often learning on the job, while teachers, students, and families are navigating extremely complex legal and instructional requirements.

This creates difficult situations for everyone involved:

• Teachers may not receive the support they need to implement IEPs effectively.
• Parents may assume decisions are grounded in expertise when they may not be.
• Students with disabilities can end up with services that do not fully match their needs.

Special education is not simply a compliance issue—it is a civil rights obligation that requires deep knowledge of law, instruction, and individualized supports.

Parents deserve to understand how the system works so they can ensure their child’s services truly match their needs.

In my upcoming session, I will walk parents through how to read an IEP, how services should align with evaluations, and what to watch for so services meet your child’s need.

One of the biggest mistakes parents make in special education meetings

Many families assume that if a support is being provided, it must be protected.

Unfortunately, that is not always true.

Schools sometimes provide supports informally that are not written in the IEP.

Examples include:

• 1:1 aides helping a student throughout the day
• additional adult support during transitions
• modified work expectations
• behavior supports or check-ins

When those supports are not documented in the IEP, they can be removed without the same legal protections.

This is why documentation matters.

✔ If a support is necessary for your child to succeed
✔ If your child relies on that support daily
✔ If the support is being provided consistently

…it should be discussed and clearly documented.

Parents deserve to understand how the system works so they can protect their child’s access to learning.

I’ll be explaining this issue — and others — in my upcoming webinar for parents.

More information coming soon.

St. Johns County Special Education Budget Changes:
What Parents Need to Know

Many students are currently receiving support that may not be formally written into their IEPs.

When budgets change, those supports can disappear overnight.

Parents need to understand:

✔ what schools are legally required to provide
✔ what happens when services change
✔ what steps families can take to protect their child’s support

In this webinar I will explain:

• how special education services must be documented
• what federal law requires districts to maintain
• what parents can do if services are changed

Details coming soon!