SPED ignored

To the editor:

At a recent South Kitsap school board meeting, director Daily mentioned that he had filed a complaint with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction on behalf of all SPED students and their parents concerning how the district had failed to provide the federally mandated services they were entitled to under IDEA laws.

The investigation is complete, and the district was found in violation of not providing services to many students with IEP’s and out of compliance with federal law. The district is required to be monitored by OSPI until the corrective actions and services for the students have been completed.

Rather than describe what the district was doing to support the students, the superintendent began to trivialize the findings of the complaint. He chose to protect himself as well as those deficient staff members who are responsible for this situation. So, the complaint of approximately 1,500 SPED students and their parents was treated as if it was an inconvenience to the district.

Even worse, the school board chairman, who has no educational degrees or experience whatsoever, called the complaint a “nothing burger,” further insulting 1,500 SPED students and their parents as if their needs were not important.

Federal law guarantees SPED services, so his callous remarks open the district to huge lawsuits concerning our district students. What is the matter with our district when the board chairman and superintendent both feel that filing a complaint means “nothing” to them? Is this the real way they treat our students and parents?

Jeff Daily

Port Orchard