Special Ed Parents, Teachers Meet with Superintendent

By Teresa Rochester

Nov. 29 -- Continuing a round of meetings that has introduced him to the diverse populations that make up the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District, Supt. John Deasy met Wednesday night with parents and teachers of special education students.

Before a standing-room-only crowd in the district's board room Deasy outlined plans to boost teacher training and include more special education students in the district instead of sending them to outside private schools.

Deasy told the parents and teachers -- who were invited by the Special Education District Advisory Committee -- that he was uncomfortable with the large number of special education students sent to outside schools contracted by the district, a standard practice in California school districts that is rare in other parts of the country.

"Ninety percent can be done in schools if we think of ways we can bring kids together," Deasy said to the nods of some in the audience. "Schools could look different. So be it. Classrooms may look different... It means we're going to struggle with that. I'm going to work to bring kids back to public schools."

The process of bringing back students currently outside the district likely will take several years, Deasy cautioned.

Increased training for district teachers also is on the superintendent's agenda, specifically training for regular education teachers in making modifications and accommodations for special education students.

Another goal is to have no more than ten or 11 students with similar disabilities in a special education classroom at one time with a teacher who is trained to teach students with those disabilities.

Currently, teachers have students with a range or emotional and physical disabilities in a single classroom.

During a question and answer period, parents worried about the impact of recent state budget cuts on special education programs. Deasy said that cuts would not affect education programs.

Others questioned how the district would address the state's requirement that special education students pass the new high school exit exam in order to graduate. Deasy responded that that requirement would not survive legal challenges.

"My belief is it's unlawful," he said.

Teachers and parents said that they were pleased with the meeting and the superintendent's responses but that they were cautious in their optimism.

"I think it's refreshing to have someone come from out of state (Deasy came from a district in Rhode Island), who has a different take on special education," said Bonnie Kramer, who's been with the district since 1965 and is a resource specialist at Roosevelt Elementary School.

"The expectations are quite high," she said.

"There's a lot of issues to be worked on," said parent Craig Hamilton. "In some ways it was easy, philosophical. The ideas were quiet sound. The challenge is going to be doing things we want to do in this economy."

Parent Tricia Crane, who moderated the evening's question and answer period and serves on the Special Education DAC, also was pleased with the meeting.