CDE is taking the concept of ‘inclusion’ one step further by merging the agency’s special education unit with the branch that administers most of the state’s instruction and learning programs. For decades, the CDE—like most state educational agencies nationally—maintained a special education division virtually independent from the rest of the department, with a manager that reported directly to the state superintendent.
But in recent years, there has been a growing movement to break down all administrative silos within education, and create more coordination both among state and local officials, as well as educators in the classroom. This effort is especially relevant to the relationship between special and general education services, where today, new teachers are expected to have far more skill in working with students with disabilities than incoming teachers had in the past.
