Superintendent Reconsiders Special Education Reorganization ...

Arlington Schools Superintendent Kathleen Bodie told the School Committee Tuesday night that she had ?reconsidered? a reorganization of the special education department that brought about intense opposition and concern from parents since the May proposition.

After listening to parent and School Committee feedback over the past month, Bodie?s proposed organization is set to include an interim special education director with an assistant director, Lori Villani. Below these positions, there will be an elementary and secondary coordinator, each supported by team chairs. This would maintain the previous structure, as opposed to having co-directors, which Bodie previously proposed.

?The concern was that we were perhaps moving too quickly to a different model,? Bodie said, providing further explanation Wednesday. While moving to a co-director organization in the future is still a possibility, for now, maintaining the current structure is the best option, she said.

Kathleen Lockyer, who was previously Watertown?s special education director, is set to fill the interim special education director position, replacing Mark Ryder, who is moving on from the position. Bodie commended Ryder?s contributions over the past three years, but said his departure is an opportunity to ?look at where we are with programming,? and to ask, ?is this the way we want to organize?

Though the interim director and re-evaluated organization proposal address certain concerns of Special Education Parent Advisory Council members and parents, the emotional opening statements from parents depicted a situation that involves deeper problems with communication and cooperation.

SEPAC members are asking for the creation of a joint committee that would take part in the hiring process for the new director. In their statements, parents stressed that special education must involve a much higher level of parent involvement than regular education?and that higher involvement is legally required.

?We are at a critical juncture and have the opportunity and ethical responsibility to improve the current situation,? said Leslie Meiselman, who has a son in an Arlington special education program.

In describing the challenges she and her family have faced with the special education department, at one point, Meiselman started to tear up. She said in difficult times like these, she thinks of her son, who has been described as ?resilient.? If he has struggled, he ?picks himself back up.?

?We must do the same,? she concluded.

Despite these concerns, many parents said that even the recent change in the approach and interaction between SEPAC and the department have been encouraging, describing the past few weeks as ?a new beginning.?

Bodie said communication is always something that can be improved, and ?administrators in the special education department are aware of this concern and are formulating plans to improve communication.? SEPAC and parents would be involved in the process of determining the new director, she said.

?They will be involved, as will administrators and teachers,? she said.

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Source: http://arlington.patch.com/articles/superintendent-reconsiders-special-education-reorganization

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