No one else dictates that Was the LAUSD's plan to limit accessibility to Special Education Centers in the best interests of the students who needed those services?
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With the primary elections for four LAUSD board seats coming up in March, it is important to understand how the candidates view special education issues. Three candidates (Dr. Silke Bradford and Patricia Castellanos in District 7 and Elizabeth Badger in District 3) have cited personal connections to these issues. The incumbent Board Member from District 3, Scott Schmerelson, fought to ensure that Special Education Centers remained open and notes that "It is called an Individualized Education Program because it should be tailored to the individual student". He was also one of two board members who voted against appealing a court decision that benefited children with severe needs. On the opposite side of the issue is Board District 7 candidate Tanya Ortiz Franklin who refers to Special Education Centers as "segregationist" and believes that they should be closed, just not "quickly."
It is clear that the direction the LAUSD takes in a post-Chanda Smith world will be determined by who eventually wins these seats. Nick Melvoin is already trying to forcibly move CTC West from the Fairfax High Campus. If Reed Hastings and the Charter School industry have their way, he will get additional allies. If the voters are not persuaded by the ads purchased with the millions of dollars that education privatisers will donate in these elections, Melvoin will be stopped in his tracks and all kids will have a better chance of receiving an education that is appropriate to their needs.
Carl Petersen is a parent, an advocate for students with special education needs, an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council, an appointed alternate to the LAUSD's CAC, and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, he was endorsed by the Network for Public Education (NPE) Action and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a "strong supporter of public schools." His past blogs can be found at www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
NOTE: While Carl is an appointed alternate to the LAUSD's Community Advisory Committee (CAC), he does not speak on their behalf.
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