Last year, the state of NH was hailed for groundbreaking education legislation when they passed HB 581 and it was signed by Governor Sununu.
An amendment that was tagged onto this bill was to establish a study committee to examine special education processes. Several parents showed up and told stories of their kids failing to get an education. The future looks pretty grim with almost 20% of the newly minted workforce graduating from high school completely unprepared for college or a career as they have single-digit proficiency scores.
The de minimis (bare minimum) approach used by schools is taking average IQ kids who need a little help to learn and leaving them high and dry.
The committee members all agreed that something must be done. Enter SB381.
SB381 is a bill to establish an independent Office of Special Education Advocate. This bill would establish an office to help people. The bill passed through the Senate unanimously only to be stonewalled in the House Education Committee.
We want to thank Moira Ryan for this Op-Ed.
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The Office of the Child Advocate stated the role to govern Special Education would be theirs. They pledged to work with the Parent Information Center and the NH DOE.
Well, the Board Chair of the Parent Information Center is Marcia Bagley, the Nashua Special Education Director who has no interest in seeing parents advocate for their children.
The Nashua School District demanded that charter school children return to the district for their services in an effort to force parents back into the district or deny services.
The NH DOE is also chock full of former school district employees.
Read Rebecca Fredette’s article when she talks about what she will do to lead the Bureau. Every single thing she intends to do includes schools but does not include parents or students. The “impartial” complaints department is also headed by an ex-school employee.
The number of special education students has remained relatively stable while enrollment has and will continue to decrease. Proficiency scores went into the single-digit range after COVID and schools are still trying to figure out how they are going to handle that. But kids are only young once and the time they have in school is eroding as school districts make excuses.
The lack of accountability and onus on the parents to demand better is taking its toll as kids with IEPs exit the system with no real goals or ability to maintain an independent lifestyle. Many work a few hours a week in a minimum wage style job and the rest of their time in adult services which is not much better.
Enter the bureaucrats who want to keep the system as is. Cassie Sanchez, the Office of the Child Advocate head arrives on the scene and claims she can take over special education with the help of a paralegal. One parent, Christine Metzner, an attorney, couldn’t understand the law without the help of a specialized education attorney but Cassie Sanchez can do that without even understanding what it is.
Ms. Sanchez admits she has no expertise in Special Education but intends to pick it up as she paws through all the records of any child she deems fit as she feels that is her right to do so. I bet many parents will not like that. Maybe Ms. Sanchez should use her time locating Harmony Montgomery and not interfering in Special Education which is a totally different arena.
Parent support for SB381 was passionate as parents of children with special needs are tired of waiting for the education the government promised but failed to deliver and they want action now. SUPPORT SB 381 as an INDEPENDENT and help our students and future citizens claim their place as active participants in our society.
