📣 Special Education & Intervention Review: What Families Should Know

Now that many families have had a chance to review the district’s Special Education & Intervention Review, we wanted to share some of the biggest takeaways in plain language.

You can review the full document HERE

The biggest takeaway

The report confirms something families have been saying for a long time:

Many of the struggles families are experiencing are real, and they are happening across the district — not just in one classroom, one program, or one school.

This matters because it means these concerns are not isolated. They are connected to larger districtwide systems, including staffing, communication, intervention, training, and implementation.

What the report found 🔍

Some of the biggest findings include:

✅ Most students with disabilities are in inclusion classrooms, but many are still not reaching grade-level expectations.

✅ Supports and interventions are not being used consistently across schools.

✅ MTSS — the district’s system for early intervention and student support — is uneven depending on the school, staff, and implementation.

✅ Families are not always getting clear communication about supports, interventions, or decision-making.

✅ Students with disabilities continue to perform far below their peers academically.

One of the clearest themes in the report is that the district has built the structure for inclusion, but has not yet built the consistency and support needed to make inclusion work well for every student.

Why this matters for all families 💬

When intervention systems are inconsistent:

➡️ Some students get help early, while others wait.➡️ Some families know how to navigate the system, while others are left confused.➡️ A student’s experience can depend heavily on school placement, staffing, or who happens to be involved.➡️ Inclusion may exist on paper, but not always translate into meaningful academic access in the classroom.

The report makes clear that these issues are connected to districtwide capacity — including staffing, training, communication, and consistent implementation.

Why this matters for the budget 💰

This is especially important as the district heads into budget discussions.

“Level service” means keeping the current system operating at roughly the same level it is now. But the report itself identifies major gaps in consistency, communication, intervention, and student outcomes.

In other words:

Families are not imagining these issues. They are not isolated. And maintaining the current system without addressing these gaps is not enough.

The report gives families an opportunity to push for:

🌟 Stronger and more consistent early intervention🌟 Clearer communication with families🌟 Better access to supports across schools🌟 Staffing and training that match student needs🌟 Real alignment between inclusion goals and classroom reality

Family voice matters 🗣️

Thank you to everyone who has continued speaking up, sharing experiences, asking questions, and supporting one another.

Family voice is a major reason these issues are finally being acknowledged at a systems level.

The May 6 budget hearing at ESCS is one important place where families can help shape what happens next. Even a short comment matters.

You do not need to be an expert. You do not need to speak for long.

Simply sharing:

💬 what your child has experienced,

💬 where communication or intervention has fallen short,

💬 what support helped your student succeed, or

💬 what your child still needs in order to access learning

helps connect the report’s findings to real student experiences.

Themes families may want to speak about

Families may want to comment on:

📌 Early intervention and MTSS access📌 Consistency across schools📌 Communication with families📌 Staffing and support needs📌 Whether inclusion is translating into real academic access for their children📌 The need for the budget to reflect the gaps identified in the report

We’re here to help 🤝

If you would like help understanding the report further or preparing comments or questions for the budget discussion, please reach out.

Families have been naming these issues for a long time. This report is an opportunity to make sure the district’s next steps — including the budget — respond to what students and families actually need.