Dear Head of Special Education,
I just received notice that almost all printers in my school would be taken away, so that printing could be centralized and the district can save money on printing/toner cartridges. The printers to be removed included both the ones in our classrooms and the laser color printers.
I know that this would be a huge hardship for me, and I'm guessing the other special education staff as well. Please consider the following my thoughts as to why my printer is vital to my classroom:
1. I use it daily to make copies of materials that I have created with a group. I can hand draw a game based on speech words and then use the "copy" feature of the printer to make copies for each student. Or I can quickly stick the targeted word cards into the copy feature and print for the student. Because my groups change every 30 minutes, I would not have time to do this on the regular copy machine and still get it to the students for their daily homework assignments. This requires me to have and use the scanning printer that sits next to my computer. Both my assistant and student teacher this last year found this tool to be invaluable for providing quality follow up and homework for the students
2. I print out confidential materials daily and do not want these going to a centralized location where other staff may be looking at the papers. Many times I am printing late in the afternoon/evening and the doors to the computer lab are locked by this time.
3. I use the color printers daily to print out Boardmaker pictures, visual schedules, communication boards, circle time activities. Some argue that a color photograph is a more concrete level of representation than a black and white photo/drawing (the following list shows visual representation from most concrete to least concrete):
4. On a frequent basis I need to print a social story, lesson, or articulation word list in the middle of a 30 minute session. I cannot leave the students unattended to go pick up this printing from the other end of the building.
I know that this would be a huge hardship for me, and I'm guessing the other special education staff as well. Please consider the following my thoughts as to why my printer is vital to my classroom:
1. I use it daily to make copies of materials that I have created with a group. I can hand draw a game based on speech words and then use the "copy" feature of the printer to make copies for each student. Or I can quickly stick the targeted word cards into the copy feature and print for the student. Because my groups change every 30 minutes, I would not have time to do this on the regular copy machine and still get it to the students for their daily homework assignments. This requires me to have and use the scanning printer that sits next to my computer. Both my assistant and student teacher this last year found this tool to be invaluable for providing quality follow up and homework for the students
2. I print out confidential materials daily and do not want these going to a centralized location where other staff may be looking at the papers. Many times I am printing late in the afternoon/evening and the doors to the computer lab are locked by this time.
3. I use the color printers daily to print out Boardmaker pictures, visual schedules, communication boards, circle time activities. Some argue that a color photograph is a more concrete level of representation than a black and white photo/drawing (the following list shows visual representation from most concrete to least concrete):
- 3-D exact object (Ex. goldfish cracker = goldfish cracker)
- 3-D representation object (Ex. bubble wand = blowing bubbles)
- Color photograph
- Black & white photograph (Zerox)
- Color pictures (drawings)
- Black & white pictures
- Outline drawings (ex. Board Maker black& white)
People | Yellow |
| Verbs | Green |
| Descriptions | Blue |
| Nouns | Orange |
| Social | Pink |
| Miscellaneous | White |
4. On a frequent basis I need to print a social story, lesson, or articulation word list in the middle of a 30 minute session. I cannot leave the students unattended to go pick up this printing from the other end of the building.
5. Finally, there are times in meetings that a page has not been printed, or an additional piece of special education paperwork is needed. I need to print these immediately and have ready access to them for the meeting, without worrying about whether the computer lab doors are locked.
I understand that money is very tight right now, and that budget cuts are inevitable at this time. However, thank you for considering letting me keep this valuable, valuable tool!
I understand that money is very tight right now, and that budget cuts are inevitable at this time. However, thank you for considering letting me keep this valuable, valuable tool!
Love, Super Woman
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10 comments:
Your point about the confidential paperwork is a critical one. In our school district the special education staff are specifically allowed to have printers in their offices, for exactly that reason.
If you present the issue as one of liability and confidentiality, you may be able to get yourself an exception. :-)
Thats an interesting post. It was worth visiting your blog and I have bookmarked your blog. Hope to visit again.
After 2 years as an Instructional Tech Specialist (now going back to SLP), I totally hate printers and think that students and teachers should print MUCH LESS (now that we all have google docs and the students' work can be shared paperlessly). That said, it sounds like your district's plan is totally insane on many levels and your letter is a very convincing one as to why an SLP needs a printer nearby. Good Luck!
I couldn't have said it better. I have not had my own printer for 3 out of the past 4 years. It is totally inconvenient and I end up with way less effective therapy sessions because I end up not using any of the printable materials I have. And I have good printable materials!
I'm shaking my head. That sounds like a really short-sighted cost saving measure. No printers?!?! Really-- that makes no sense. I hope the administration take a second look and gives yours back.
Happy summer, jj
ESPECIALLY because of confidentiality should you have your own printer!!!
Have my word of support too!
This act of centralizing the printing and copying is a beuracratic thing that works against its supposed goal; they claim to work for more efficient education, but having no immediate printing/copying ability decreases the efficiency of teaching. Hope you get to keep your printer!
You make excellent points, good luck! I hope you get to keep your printer.
My husband's office is consolidating printing also, with this difference: Every print job is password protected and can only print once the person who wants it is AT the printer and puts in his/her password into the printer. This way there are no risks confidentiality breach. That said, I still hope you can keep your printer since what you print seems to be so timely to your classroom needs of the moment.
I am also a school based SLP whose district has decided that we need to be using only the centralized copiers. Beyond that they confiscated any non-network printer so I am not allowed to have my color printer that I received through a grant at school. I pay for the ink with my own money and use it daily to print out color pictures, pecs, etc, for my autism classes. They don't care why I need it, it's in their contract with the printer company which I admit is saving the district money but that rule is a little ridiculous. So I feel your pain!
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