Parents: Special Ed Administration Needs Change

Parents of special education students in Arlington said on Tuesday they were unhappy  with Superintendent Kathleen Bodie’s proposed changes—or lack thereof—to the special education administration.

They said Bodie’s recommendations to the maintain the status quo, when they believe major changes need to be made.

“We’re extremely disappointed that [Bodie] is recommending more of the same for the future,” said Kerry Irons, an Arlington parent. “We believe we need a new special education administration.”

Trish Orlovsky, the chairwoman of the advocacy group Arlington Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC), said she is also “vehemently opposed” to current special education administrators filling the director position.

Bodie’s proposed plan had called for current staffers to serve as co-directors on an interim basis. However, the plan was not discussed by the School Committee Tuesday, as Bodie said it’d be better to table the issue until the committee’s June 14 meeting, so that more questions could be answered in the meantime.

In addition to Irons and Orlovsky, Michael Levi, also a parent, told the School Committee that there has been “an unhealthy [special education] culture” in recent years. He said there have been procedural violations and a lack of communication and transparency.