Public Forum

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From the editor: This section is dedicated to the Public Forum, where we publish opinions on public and social issues that affect the Malibu community and our readers at large.

Santa Monica politics dictates special education future in Malibu

By Laureen Sills

With the firing, eh acceptance, of Deputy Superintendent Tim Walker’s resignation, it is obvious that our Board of Education caved into political pressure from the Santa Monica City Council, and Malibu had no voice in the process.

The Board of Education hired Tim Walker to stop the bloodletting in special education by designing a cost saving process to address costly dispute resolutions and bring programs in house. This process is called the “settlement agreement,” and basically it provides services that are requested by the parents but not found by the district to be necessary.

My problem with this process is that these services are left off the child’s IEP (Individual Education Plan/federally guaranteed rights under IDEA) and, due to the confidentiality aspect to the agreement, parents are obliged not to discuss these services with others. This lack of transparency invites this settlement agreement process to be accessed by the educated and informed, and leaves out the less advantaged families.

The Board of Education dictated, mandated and signed off on every settlement agreement and it became the “way” disputes were resolved.

In the Board’s eyes, Tim Walker was a star and was elevated to Deputy Superintendent last year. He was considered by some to be on the fast track to bigger jobs in the future. My personal experience with Mr. Walker has been extremely cordial and I found him to be incredibly well versed in autism, very respectful with me, professional with staff and a decent and honorable man.

The Board heard parent (mostly in Santa Monica) complaints about the settlement agreement process and how it made families feel isolated and disenfranchised. The Board continued the practice.

In the fall, these parents brought their concerns to the Santa Monica City Council, and the council decided to hold a promised $539,000 check. They requested that the Board conduct an independent audit of the special ed department, aka The Barber Report.

Twenty or so Malibu parents came down to meet with Mr. Lou Barber. Several families had serious concerns about bussing their disabled children all the way into Santa Monica for services. The parents who had children enrolled in Malibu schools felt fortunate to have the support of our administrators, teachers and staff and were pleased with the special ed department from top to bottom. I questioned Mr. Barber’s intentions when he asked us to think of things that weren’t going well to include in the report.

When Mr. Barber’s report came out, his recommendations broad-stroked many general problems faced by all districts with regard to special education. But recommendation No. 17 stated that the district should “… create a supportive environment for students with disabilities…(and) attitudes of some site administrators …must be addressed …” And recommendation No. 18: “Special Education administrators need to be trained to ensure that all staff and parents are treated with civility and respect.”

We never said that! How could the Malibu parents have such a different experience? Is the Barber report really based on fact?

Recommendation No. 25: “The use of settlement agreements with confidentiality clauses needs to be reduced dramatically …”

So there it was in this questionable report. The settlement agreements had already been reduced over the past few years but now, who was to blame?

Rumors began to fly that Tim Walker was going to be the fall guy. The same guy who just last year was the Board’s star.

The Malibu parents addressed the Board on April 17 and again this past Thursday. Along with countless teachers, administrators and staff, Tim Walker’s leadership was defended on many levels. Parents begged the Board to consider their experiences as they contemplated the future of special education.

Our opinions fell on deaf ears.

The Board voted (with Kathy Wisnicki abstaining because she couldn’t accept, in clear conscience, the resignation of a valued employee) for a quick buyout of Mr. Walker’s $193,000 contract.

This is almost half the money the City Council was holding.

Wouldn’t it be wiser to utilize Mr. Walker’s aforementioned expertise to come up with alternative dispute resolutions everyone could live with?

The Santa Monica City Council and the Board of Education are elected by big power players in Santa Monica. Is this the kind of machinery that forced the arm of the Board of Education?

Is the Santa Monica City Council going to be satisfied with Mr. Walker’s head?

I’d love to know what Board members are up for re-election? Will the 15 percent of district voters who live in Malibu ever have an impact on this Board?

Now what?

Is Ruth Valadez (current Director of Special Ed) going to get a chance to run the department? Or is she next? What about our superintendent? Did she throw Tim Walker under the bus to save her job? What is going to happen to the morale of our teachers?

Is this what it takes to make special ed better for the families in Santa Monica who want an atmosphere where their children can access services and function in an inclusive environment like us in Malibu? Will Tim Walker’s head solve these real problems?

I don’t think so.

After Measure BB funding was pulled from Malibu schools and now this political maneuver, I feel like Malibu doesn’t have a voice in the process with the Board.

I want a Board of Education where my concerns carry the weight of my vote!

My heart goes out to the Santa Monica parents’ issues, but the time has come to stop the political theater of another city dictating what happens to my teachers, administrators, staff and my kids.