Humanity is fraught with complications of various kinds that inhibit or change our ability to learn. Families, students and school districts are empowered and equipped with substantial funding and legal protections that are designed to overcome basically any limitation they may face in getting needed education and services.
During my years serving as a trustee for Chico Unified, I have always supported the array of services and methodologies we employ to meet the needs of our SPED students. Since CUSD is a relatively large district, especially as compared to those that surround us, we have resources to meet particular needs that may be more difficult for other districts in our region. This is a realm where staffing considerations, budget, legal compliance, teamwork, compassion and love must converge as we all do our level best to educate our precious little ones.
It sounds cliche to state that every child is different, but when it comes to special education this is absolutely true. I understand that, as a trustee, I have both a moral and legal responsibility to advocate for the well-being of the children who are in my care. The State of California and federal government are pouring untold millions of dollars into public education -- and special education specifically -- and we need to be responsible in the way we allocate it. These institutions have also saddled school districts with a myriad of laws and regulations that strictly govern and limit what methods we are able to use in approaching special education.
As a parent who has myself had to grapple with bureaucracies and advocate on behalf of my own children, I can somewhat grasp the frustration and sense of defeat -- and triumph -- that can characterize parenting a special education student. During my tenure on the board I have always tried to vote and work in league with SPED families and I will continue to do so as long as I am privileged to serve as a trustee.
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