Sonoma Valley school board open to ‘special education council’

A proposed special education council for the Sonoma Valley Unified School District moved a step closer to realization at Tuesday’s board meeting.|

A proposed committee giving special education parents and students a greater voice in the district moved a step closer to realization at the Sonoma Valley School Board meeting Tuesday.

The board reviewed the proposal for a Special Education Advisory Council, presented by special ed parents Celeste Winders and Mindy Luby, as a discussion-only item. A vote on the council is expected to be scheduled at an upcoming meeting.

The board members gave the proposal a warm reception.

“Congratulations on bringing this forward. It’s a proactive approach, and I look forward to meeting with you next month for the approval,” said Sonoma Valley Unified School District Trustee Sal Chavez.

“It has felt for years like there was a paradigm of conflict. Seeing our community and our staff working together on a proposal is such a relief,” added Trustee John Kelly. “We are only going to improve by working together.”

In 2017, concerns over a budget deficit that parents feared might lead to cuts in the district’s special education programs grew contentious. But administrators, board members and parents this fall have repeatedly expressed a commitment to a fresh start, and Tuesday’s board meeting seemed to confirm that commitment.

“Our overarching goal is to achieve a truly collaborative effort,” Luby said. “Working collaboratively can provide the district a lens specific to disabled students. That creates a safety net that can help to ensure compliance” with federal and state laws, she said.

“As a district we have been managing a financial crisis and we want to make sure the money is spent on students, not to defend compliance cases,” Winders said.

Such councils across the country have created an atmosphere of respect and promoted educational opportunities for children with disabilities, she said. Winders and Luby are part of a group of about 150 parents of special needs children in the district that works together to lend its members support in easing their kids’ way through the school system.

The council would advise the district’s director of special education, a post currently held by new director Vanessa Riggs, on such things as program development, parent concerns and department priorities. Its members would include representatives from all the district schools, as well as community members, teachers and nonvoting students.

Meeting agendas would be set by the director of special ed and the council chair. The council would meet eight times a year at the district office.

District Trustee Dan Gustafson requested the special ed council provide regular reports to the school board.

“So you are going to meet eight times a year,” said Gustafson. “Do you have an anticipated number of items you would report to the board?”

District board chair Britta Johnson expressed concern over the number of meetings planned by the council.

“Sometimes eight meetings becomes a challenge,” said Johnson. “I don’t want to start with something we’re not going to achieve. I’d rather say a minimum of six.”

To which Luby and Winders replied: “We’re special ed parents. We’re used to meetings,” drawing laughter from the board.

“We know for members eight meetings might be hard, but we talked about having looser attendance rules,” said Socorro Shiels, the district’s new superintendent, who met with Luby and Winders before the board meeting to discuss the council. Shiels said the council was planning on beginning its meetings this fall.

“This is so needed,” added Kelly. “It’s the only way it’s going to get better.”

Kelly is running for a seat on the Santa Rosa Junior College board in the November election. According to the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters office, should he be elected to the SRJC board, Kelly would have to step down from the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board. Also, the seats of Chavez and Gustafson are up for grabs in the election, and neither incumbent is running.

After Tuesday’s meeting, Winders said, “It’s been a long, contentious road to get here, but it feels good. Now we have to build the whole house.”

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