Every child deserves an education in which they are seen, supported and given the opportunity to reach their potential. For students receiving special education services, that requires a district that treats families as partners and takes its legal obligations seriously.

 

The Change in Vendors for Paraprofessional Services

 

I am particularly concerned about the effect that changes involving long-serving paraprofessionals may have on students during the 2026-27 school year. For children with significant needs, including many students in self-contained classrooms, continuity matters. A paraprofessional who knows a child well may be the educator who knows them best -- how that student communicates, what causes distress, what helps them regulate, and how the student's Individualized Education Plan should be carried out throughout the school day.

 

We need to put the needs of these students first. The district should take immediate steps to provide continuity wherever possible with experienced paraprofessionals who understand these children, their needs, and their Individualized Educational Plans (“IEPs”), even if it costs more than originally budgeted. Any transition should be carefully managed, communicated clearly to families, and evaluated based on its impact on students – not simply on staffing or budget considerations.

 

Staffing and budget decisions sometimes have to be made. But their effect on children needs to be part of the decision from the beginning. The district should preserve continuity with experienced paraprofessionals wherever possible, communicate clearly with families when changes are necessary, and pay close attention to how transitions affect students.

 

The Delivery of Special Education Services

 

I am also concerned by the level of frustration I have heard from families navigating special education, from initial evaluations through the delivery of services. Parents should not feel that they have to fight the school district to receive services their children are legally entitled to receive. A well-functioning Special Services department should be responsive, transparent, timely, and respectful. 

 

Families should know who to contact, what happens next, and what to do when there is a problem. Evaluations should occur within required timelines. IEP services should be delivered as agreed. Concerns should not disappear into a bureaucracy.

 

The Board needs enough information to know whether the system is actually working. We cannot improve what we are unwilling to measure.

 

If elected, I will advocate for regular reporting to the Board on issues such as:

 

• how many special education evaluations are requested, actually conducted, and completed within required timelines

 

• what percent of IEP services are delivered at the agreed frequency

 

• how many family concerns require escalation beyond the school level

 

• how long it takes to resolve those concerns

 

• how frequently disputes escalate into formal legal action

 

Numbers will not tell us everything. Families also need meaningful opportunities to tell the district what is working and what is not. That should include regular surveys and other forms of feedback, offered with enough notice and in ways that are accessible to families.

 

Students receiving special education services should never feel like an afterthought in our district. A family entering special education in SOMSD should experience a coordinated process in which educators and parents work together, the child receives the services promised and disagreements can be resolved without every problem becoming a battle. 

 

If elected, I will push the Board to hold Special Services accountable to the Board and the community, both for compliance with the law and for an approach that is responsive to the children and families it serves, treating them with dignity and respect.

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