As parents and caregivers of students in the special education program, we want you to understand why we feel it is critically important that you appoint Jason Feldman to SMMUSD School Board.
Students in special education make up 13% of the student body. That is 13% of SMMUSD families who have a unique perspective that is often not understood. With declining enrollment, limited budget and rising litigation, experience with special education on the Santa Monica School Board is essential. Even though we’ve accepted our children’s differing abilities, we have real fears for their future. SMMUSD is crucial in the quest for our kids to lead fulfilling independent lives. We know Jason will be the advocate our children desperately need to make that a reality.
You can’t walk a mile in our shoes, but we can show you some scenes from our lives. As parents, we didn’t plan to have children who had to use a wheelchair, or who would have Autism, or who couldn’t “pass” a standard I.Q. test or who need accommodations to access the curriculum, but here we are. We’ve been on a tandem learning journey with our children for many years.
Public schools are required by federal law to provide a fair and appropriate education to all kids, including ours. Yet translating what that means in terms of interventions, best-in-class protocols, inclusion and socialization requires understanding not only the vast array of diagnoses but seeing each of our children as individuals—and how a diagnosis may manifest in their lives from year to year. Too often, this lack of understanding leads to significant conflict with the district—and has resulted in multiple lawsuits against SMMUSD.
Jason is the only candidate who campaigned on reducing special education lawsuits. He understands the challenges our families face, the limitation of resources, and the need for collaborative and innovative solutions. We trust in his ability to understand our children in their unique strengths and challenges.
Every family of a child in special education pursues outside therapies and interventions. Through the Preschool and Elementary years, most kids have between 3-10 therapies weekly outside of school. While the numbers may change as our kids move into secondary school, the complexity of the therapies increases as they approach independence. Every family is juggling work, financial constraints, and logistics to get their children the help they require. Many families have had parents or caregivers change careers or quit their jobs altogether to help make this happen — nationally, 40% of us give up on work because of caregiving demands for our kids.
Not understanding the constraints and realities of our families has caused a growing alienation between the special education community and the District. Adding a Board Member with experience in this area is critical to bridging this divide.
In addition, the special education community would look at the appointment of Jason Feldman to the Board as a reinforcement of the Board’s commitment to inclusion.
Moreover, Jason’s life experiences make him uniquely qualified to represent the entire District. Jason has one daughter in the special education program and one in the mainstream program. He lives the full range of SMMUSD’s educational experience every day. He sees the spaces for improvement and collaboration. He knows this is not a zero-sum game for any of our students or schools — this is not ‘our kids’ verses ‘your kids’, it is about all students.
We have seen firsthand Jason’s empathy towards those in our community as well as his commitment to high quality education for all children.
For all of these reasons, we believe that Jason Feldman should be appointed to the vacant seat on the School Board.
Thank you for hearing us.
We strongly believe that Jason’s 25 years of experience and skill as a civil rights attorney championing equity and social justice will be a tremendous asset for the entire student population including those in special education.
Meredith Feldman
This letter was written by parents in the special education community with input, comments and approval of 110 SMMUSD parents, teachers, staff, community members including two Santa Monica City Council Members.