There are people in every community whose main involvement in addressing a problem is confined to complaining about it. When offered an opportunity to turn criticism into action, they are strangely silent.
That is why we were disappointed to learn that the Columbus Municipal School District’s efforts to address criticism of its handling of special education appears to have been ignored even by those who were most adamant in bringing the issues to the district’s attention.
Parents of special education students have come before the board to address concerns before, most often with concerns that students were not getting the related services they needed, such as therapy, certified teachers and up-to-date equipment.
In September, CMSD board president Angela Verdell announced the formation of a nine-member special education committee to be made up of parents, school staff and members of the community, noting that this committee was also one of the recommendations made by those parents.
But a month after the announcement, just three people have applied to serve on the board despite the district’s best efforts to reach out to those most affected. The district sent applications to the parents of every child registered in the district’s special education program.
The poor response is disheartening.
The district has acted in good faith, responding to the criticism of its special education program in a positive, solution-driven manner. That so few have accepted the opportunity to partner with the district in improving the educational prospects for a group of students that are particularly vulnerable is hard to understand.
Parents of special needs children are warriors when it comes to advocating for their children — and often need to be. Public education is, to some degree, a one-size-fits-all proposition. Yet each student learns and progresses differently and that’s particularly true of students who have special needs.
These students need strong advocates, both in the classrooms and at home.
The new committee presents an opportunity to bring those two advocacy groups together.
It is our hope that there are at least a half-dozen more people in the community who recognize this as a chance to make a real difference for these children. Membership on the committee is still open and one not need be a parent to apply.
We hope our community will respond to these needs not with words alone, but with action.
To apply for the committee, go to http://www.columbuscityschools.org/parents-needed-special-education-advisory-committee.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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