"I think that especially under superintendent (Alberto) Carvalho, they are cracking down on attempts to empower families to ask for what they want."
- Outgoing CAC Chair Ariel Harman-Holmes
A teacher and student at the Sven Lokrantz Special Education Center, a school that would be protected by the proposed Improving Special Education resolution
(Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA
An article published last week in "The 74" summarized the backlash faced by the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) after adding a discussion of the proposed Improving Special Education Resolution to an agenda last year. Unfortunately, the author makes some errors about the story's background. For example, while the state mandates the CAC, it is not a "state agency." However, she accurately depicts the District's actions to prevent the members of the CAC from advocating on behalf of students with Special Education needs.
When originally published, the agenda for the May 2023 meeting of the CAC included the following under "Announcements:"
"Parent-drafted resolution read by parent who is separately seeking LA Unified Board of Education consideration."
However, this item was removed from the agenda in a last-minute meeting of the Executive Committee hastily arranged at the behest of the Office of General Counsel (OGC). Ignoring the CAC's mandate to advocate "for effective Special Education programs and services", the OGC claimed that since the item had nothing to do with the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), it did not belong on the agenda. In violation of the Greene Act, this meeting was not open to the public, a notice was not published at least 72 hours in advance and an agenda was not made available to the public.
As noted in "The 74's" article, parents charge that "when CAC members proposed the resolution a year ago, the district attempted to remove members advocating for special education." Ignoring both the committee's bylaws and the SELPA, the District hijacked the appointment process, and rejected almost every member who was up for reelection, including members of the leadership team. The criteria used for selecting members was deemed "confidential" and was not shared with the committee.
Pressure was placed on the Superintendent resulting in the District eventually reappointing some incumbents, but the damage was already done. The eventual approval of the CAC's membership was achieved months after the due date and the committee lost months of work. The District also followed the same improper procedure for appointing next year's committee, ensuring it will be deprived of much of its past leadership.
The LAUSD was given an opportunity by the author of "The 74's" article to respond to the allegation made by multiple parents but a spokesperson declined to comment. Instead, the reporter was referred to the Office of ADA Compliance and the District's Special Education Plan; neither of these have any relationship with the CAC.
Surprisingly, the LAUSD did not include the SELPA in its referrals since this is the document that governs all aspects of Special Education in the District. Unfortunately, this document has also been marred in controversy as the CAC was prevented by the bureaucrats from having the input into this document as specified in the California Education Code. As a result, the Committee's outgoing Chair, Ariel Harman-Holmes, refused to sign this year's updated version.
"There's a lot of misinformation literally given at IEP's (Individualized Education Program)...It comes down to cost saving"because they know only a certain number of parents will go to due process."
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- Former CAC Chair Lisa Mosko
When the new school board is seated in December, it looks like members of the CAC will be able to count on more support. In Board District 1, both candidates looking to replace Dr. George McKenna in the November election have pledged to "ensure that the CAC is able to act independently of District staff so that it can provide [them] with feedback that is truly reflective of what the Special Education community is experiencing." If either Kahllid Al-Alim or Sherlett Hendy Newbill is elected, they have promised to sponsor and work for the passage of the proposed "Improving Special Education Within the LAUSD" resolution.
In Board District 5, only Special Education teacher Karla Griego responded to questions about her views on these issues. She will support both CAC independence and the proposed resolution.
Voters in Board District 3 are flying blind on this issue as the two candidates who made the runoff refused to answer the Special Education questions. Scott Schmerelson is known for his support of students who receive these services, but lost my endorsement when he refused to sponsor the resolution, with his Chief of Staff stating that "it is not feasible for the [LAUSD] to pursue" the proposed changes. He has since stated that he is working on his own resolution but to date has not provided any specific information.
You can show your support for the proposed resolution by signing this petition. The LAUSD's most vulnerable students would appreciate your help.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
