Supervising Staff

The Network Schools employ and contract with individuals to provide special education and related services to eligible students. As of June 1, 2023, anticipated staffing and contracting includes the following:

Sage Middleton: two special education teachers (employees, full time); five paraprofessionals (employees, 4 days/week + additional training days on some Fridays); one speech language pathologist (contracted, part time); one occupational therapist or OT assistant (contracted, part time)

Sage Boise: four special education teachers (employees); six paraprofessionals (employees, full time); one speech language pathologist (employee, full time); one occupational therapist (contracted, part time)

Sage Network: one special education director (employee, full time with some non-SpEd responsibilities related to federal programs); one school psychologist (employee, full time); one school psychologist (contracted, 4 hours per week)

Outside Providers

Sage Boise contracts for OT services, and Sage Middleton contracts for OT and SLP services. These are contracts between each school and the provider, and they create a relationship where the provider provides the service and the school pays the provider their contracted rate. Although the school doesn't employ the provider, the provider is involved in the school's FAPE obligation. Because a student's team has determined that they need speech, language, and/or OT as a special education service or as a related service, the school is obligated to provide the service at no cost to the parent.

Sometimes teams receive a request from a parent or other team member to have a student's community support person (BI/CBRS) work with them in the school setting. It's important to consider that if the IEP team determines that a student requires a service such as behavior intervention, that becomes part of the school's FAPE obligation and the school must provide the service. While this need can be met by having an outside provider conduct the service (as with SLP and OT as described above) and be paid by the school, a service provider in the school who is working with the student outside of school as well may lead to confusion or challenging situations. The parent or provider may see the provider as responsible to the parent, even though the provider is providing a school-based service. This may lead to a lack of management or supervision being accepted from the case manager or school administrator. Any request that the school allow an outside provider not already directly contracting with the school to come on campus to observe or provide services to a student should be carefully considered by the school.