Yes, higher pay for Wake Schools therapists

Being an occupational or physical therapist in a school requires patience, much training and a big heart. Thanks to the Wake County school board and commissioners, these therapists will likely be getting overdue raises, which will enable some of them to stay with the system.

As it has been, the therapists have understandably been leaving for better paying jobs. Considering what the therapists do, the proposed pay hikes ($1,000 a month, a raise to $5,581 a month for a therapist with 15 years or more experience, less for those with fewer years in) will keep some good people on board.

Just since July, eight occupational therapists have resigned, a trend that school officials rightfully have acted to reverse.

These therapists work with children who have a variety of disabilities. The idea is to help the kids work within a regular school. Excitable kids might wear weighted vests to calm down; those with motor skill problems might use speech-to-text software; others might need special kinds of paper or pens and pencils. With assistance, these children will be able to get their work done and interact with other students.

Therapists are the ones who help open up that world.

There is a practical reason to provide the therapists as well, though simple compassion would be enough. The federal government mandates services for special-education students. Therefore, if the school system fails to provide enough therapists, it has no choice but to go to expensive outside contractors to deliver the services.

Jamie Wineland, an occupational therapist for Wake schools for 12 years now, is typical of so many – upbeat, optimistic, committed to helping youngsters. For her and for other therapists, the mission is to make sure their young charges don’t face impediments to the reason they’re in school, education. In her work, Wineland might deal with children who’ve been injured and have lost some motor skills or she might need to help children with learning disabilities.

It’s not unusual for therapists to have more than 50 cases, often in several different schools. But as is the case with people who love the work they do, they are inspired by those they help. Indeed, there’s a tremendous reward in seeing a child cross a barrier he or she might not have crossed without a therapist to help.

The Wake County school board and the county commissioners, as they did in providing raises for teachers and staff, thankfully see a need here. The state should do more of the same.

This story was originally published October 20, 2015 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Yes, higher pay for Wake Schools therapists."