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To: Scott Schmerelson, Chair Of The LAUSD Special Education Committee

Improving Special Education Within the LAUSD

There is widespread frustration with the way that Special Education services are delivered within the district. We, the undersigned, ask that the proposed resolution entitled Improving Special Education Within the LAUSD be submitted to the Board of Education for approval. The text for this proposed resolution can be found at bit.ly/ImprovingSpEd

Why is this important?

Helping students who have disabilities meet their full potential requires that the Special Education services they receive be customized so that their unique needs are met. A one size fits all approach will not work.

To properly develop an individualized plan, the IEP team, which includes parents, students, teachers, specialists, and school-based administrators, must be fully empowered to make decisions at the school site. Unfortunately, these local teams are often prevented from crafting appropriate plans for students due to the rigid rules set by LAUSD bureaucrats. As a result, needed programs are not made available, students are forcibly mainstreamed when it is not appropriate, and the district misses opportunities for meaningful inclusion with general education students. These pervasive failures have resulted in deep frustrations within the Special Education Community.

If "the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members," then history will judge our school district poorly. The proposed "Improving Special Education Within the LAUSD" resolution would change this trajectory and set a path that would help all students reach their full potential.

With a new school board that includes a pro-public school majority, the time to act is now. Please add your name to this petition so that we can build the momentum needed for them to act. Our most vulnerable students are depending on you.

Category

Updates

2023-10-24 21:47:01 -0400

LAUSD BD 3's Scott Schmerelson claims "it is not feasible for the District to pursue" changes that would protect parents’ choices during the IEPs that are held for children with Special Education needs.

Read the article for more information: https://changethelausd.medium.com/school-board-member-will-not-support-sped-resolution-7658cf4ebda3?sk=7d97f9daa49b70776f4096146cc63e24

Scott Schmerelson’s office can be reached directly with the following contact information:

Phone: (213) 241-8333
Email: [email protected]

2023-06-24 13:31:26 -0400

The LAUSD continues to push back against the proposed resolution. The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) placed a reading of the proposal on the May agenda but the District forced it to be removed. Additional info about this action can be found at changethelausd.hopp.to/Silenced

The proposed resolution was still read into the record during public comment, prompting the Committee’s Training and Education officer to ask Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin for her support later in the meeting. While Franklin had some criticism about the format of the proposal, she did promise to “look more closely at it and to follow up.” See the video of her response at https://change.hopp.to/Look

To encourage Franklin to follow through contact her office at:
Phones: (213) 241-6385, (310) 354-3506
Emails: [email protected], [email protected]

Please continue to share this petition to continue building momentum toward having the board adopt this measure. Our most vulnerable students depend on it.

2023-04-02 15:39:36 -0400

One of the schools that I had in mind when I wrote this proposed resolution was Lokrantz Special Education Center. It was, therefore, with great sorrow that I read that this extraordinary school is once again under attack from District bureaucrats. You can read more about the letter that was sent by the school's community to the LAUSD Board Members in my latest article: bit.ly/AVerySpecialSchoolIsThreatenedAgain

2023-02-13 21:05:20 -0500

100 signatures reached

2023-02-04 23:26:24 -0500

50 signatures reached

2023-02-04 15:14:35 -0500

25 signatures reached

2023-01-10 23:10:50 -0500

10 signatures reached