How schools work

The Board of Trustees is a group of people elected from the community by parents, and includes the principal and teacher representatives. The board employs the principal and teachers and make sure the school has policies in place, including those for special education, and that the school runs smoothly.

The Principal is responsible for managing the day-to-day running of the school according to the policies developed by the board of trustees.

Teachers are responsible for delivering the curriculum to students. Primary school students are usually taught a range of subjects by one classroom teacher, whereas secondary school students are usually taught a range of subjects by several different subject teachers.

Paraprofessionals work within schools to help the teacher support students with special education needs. They include teacher aides and education, and behaviour and communication support workers.

Specially trained teachers are employed by schools to assist in the development of programmes that help teachers support students with special education needs. They include Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), Resource Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Resource Teachers of the Deaf, Learning Support Teachers (LST) - including those funded by Supplementary Learning, and Resource Teachers: Literacy (RT: Lit). While RT: Lits are accessed by some students and young people with special education needs, this initiative is not specific to special education. Occupational therapists and physiotherapists are also available to work with students who have moderate physical impairments.