From the Independent: Special Education Letter

Friends and Neighbors:

This letter appeared in the Independent today and we are featuring it prominently in this blog because we believe that this person is trying desperately to get the word out about the state of affairs in the Everett Public School System. Robert Alconada thinks that Superintendent Foresteire delivers an A+ product? Well, this woman KNOWS the reality first hand! Her name is Ellen M. Chambers, MBA, Special Education Advocate.

To the Editor:

School board member Robert Alconda gives Superintendent of Schools Frederick Foresteire an "A-plus" on his performance education the students of Everett. Mr. Alconda needs to recheck his math, at least where special education students are concerned. The Department of Education's recent audit found that Everett met only 30 of 60 criteria measured to assess the district's compliance with special education law.

Last time I checked, that is 50%. In other words, an "F."

I wager Mr. Alconda does not have a child receiving special education services in Everett. If he did, he'd be too busy fighting for his child's educational rights to do much of anything else. According to the Department of Education, Everett does not always properly evaluate students with disabilities. Its evaluation reports do not cover what students need to succeed or how those needs should be met. Evaluations and educational plans are often not completed by required deadlines. Once educational plans are developed, they contain vague goals which cannot be measured, and information about the type of instruction students need is frequently missing.

Parents are not notified when promised services cannot be delivered.

Instructional group size and age span requirements are exceeded, diluting the quality of the education these students receive. The district is not conducting the required annual workshop on parents' rights in special education and, when parents ask for written information about their rights, they are not always given this material. All student handbooks contain outdated information about disciplining students with disabilities, and school personnel are not familiar with federally mandated procedures which are in place to ensure that students are not punished for behaviors that are a manifestation of their disability.

I don't understand how Mr. Forestiere earned an "A-plus" given Everett's treatment of its students with disabilities. I do know that if I treated my clients in the same manner, I would not have a job. Everett parents should carefully consider the possibility that their child's special education rights may have been violated and if so, should do something about it.

Ellen M. Chambers, MBA
Special Education Advocate.