State Still Focused On Local Special Ed Issue

By John Voket

Acting State Education Commissioner and Newtown resident George Coleman recently met and reassured State Representatives DebraLee Hovey and Chris Lyddy that his office has not ruled out some type of intervention with the Newtown school district’s special education administration, according to the lawmakers.

On June 30, the district received notice from Anne Louise Thompson of the Bureau of Special Education, who said her office heard from 15 families after initially finding an absence of evidence to support a systemwide investigation by the Bureau of Special Education.

Reps Hovey and Lyddy requested the state investigate local special education practices and personnel after receiving feedback from dozens of constituents about how they were treated during special education meetings in the district.

But the two lawmakers said after meeting with Dr Coleman, Ms Thompson, and other state education officials, that an initial determination of insufficient cause to suspect systemic or widespread noncompliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not mean the state has ruled out becoming involved in some type of intervention on behalf of local parents and students.

“The state Department of Education has made it clear they have not brushed this issue off,” Rep Lyddy said July 27. “The state has a desire to look at the district to see where its weaknesses are and how they can help move the district forward.”

“I was reassured by the commissioner’s position after the meeting,” Rep Hovey said. “We are not going to let this issue die.”

Rep Hovey said an agreement was struck at their meeting to provide two weeks for top ranking state special education officials to contact Newtown’s Superintendent Janet Robinson and Michael Regan, the district’s director of pupil services, to discuss options.

While initially ruling out any apparent violations of the IDEA in her letter, Ms Thompson did say the state will continue to assist the families who contact her office. Ms Thompson also noted Superintendent Robinson and the Board of Education were notified of the ruling to perform any follow-up procedures.

Rep Hovey said Newtown school officials were too quick to read into the focus of the letter, and appear to have ignored the fact that the state does stipulate it will continue to provide follow-up.

“Based on the reaction from the superintendent and [school board Chairman] Bill Hart, they didn’t get beyond the first paragraph before they thumbed their noses at us and announced there was no intention for the state to come in or follow-up,” Rep Hovey said.

“The superintendent and school board chairman seemed to think there was no issue and they can move on,” Rep Lyddy said. “But I believe now that the state intends to look into broader issues and individual cases. And we will be following up to be sure the state moves forward on that.”

During a June 7 school board meeting, Mr Hart said he would welcome an investigation that would either pinpoint areas where the district could improve special education practices or celebrate what the district is doing right.

After meeting with Rep Hovey earlier this year where she was informed about constituent complaints about special education, Dr Robinson said she brought the lawmaker’s concerns to the attention of the special education administration to determine “what we are doing to make the procedures friendlier.”