So, when I heard that they had the parent ambassador program, I didn't care how many hours it took for me to get involved. I just wanted to be involved. But when she had said that being involved meant being there for your student and being there for your community, what means which also means going to open house, going to the games, going and being involved with your student and their teacher if there's any meetings or any of that type of interaction. Um, it's it's been really nice because I've been able to meet Dr. Perez and be comfortable with it. I mean, Carlos, I've been able to learn. I've been able to travel with the school district. Um, in the coming weeks, I'm going to go to an AI summit, which never thought I'd learn any of this stuff, but I've been able to overcome a lot of obstacles and be a been able to learn more than I ever thought I'd learn with the parent ambassador program.
It's also to teach um neurotypical peers to accept people who are different. The more we interact with each other, more we understand each other, the more we respect each other, the more we have compassion for each other. The law is actually a beautifully tailored um subject in terms of trying to help all people. This was the four-part test. the IEP team the the education um the educational professionals and the parents in the IEP team are supposed to consider the educational benefits to do not to a disabled child non-academic social benefits of inter of interaction with non-disabled children the effect of presence of disabled student on the teacher and other students and also although I advise that we essentially ignore the the cost of supplementary aids in light of where we've come as a society just a couple more decision isions. This was a um a case of a child who presented with autism, a more recent decision from the Ninth Circuit and it said that um a child with autism remain in a placement of 75% um general education with onetoone full-time aid and 25% um because he was making substantial progress in his academic goals.
So, the only obstacle I would really say is this communication. So, I like the fact that you have the students going out into the elementary schools because I promise you when I was sixth grade, when she was in sixth grade going into Brookhurst, I didn't know what to expect, but I really wanted to be there for her. But knowing now that there is parent ambassador programs to be there to support our children, whether the parents get involved or not, that's an opportunity. >> And that probably would be the only obstacle that I could say. Everything else, it's it's easy. It's there's no challenges and you have a a great community of support team around you. >> We can see that. Thank you so much and again thank you to all the ambassadors that took the time to come here and um and you know let us shower you with recognition and we appreciate all the time that you put in uh for your for your school community.
But also the court made it very clear that we're not just looking at academics, we're also looking at the overall educational experience. These two last cases essentially mirror the reasoning. I just wanted to show you all um that these things are litigated at the highest uh in the highest courts of the land. This is another ninth circuit opinion. And then another ninth circuit opinion. In this case, the offer to place a student in a small classroom setting in a transitional period does not violate the the LRE requirement because the child was receiving I'm sorry, did does not because the child would have received insignificant academic benefit in a typical classroom. The goal of your district, it's to provide IDA eligible students. Again, that is a subset of students who um might require additional assistance. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is also available to provide assistance.
It's not just about your own uh when you uh join a community. It's about everyone involved. And I'm a little jealous because um I wasn't there when you started the program, but I am a former Savannah parent. So maybe next year I can earn my badge. >> Yes. >> Let me tell you, I've been trying to get Miss Fujimoto for the last I don't know how many years. Every time I see her, got to be PN ambassador. >> All right. >> Got to put you got to put your hours in. >> So this one that's why I said this counts. This counts. >> Reading. Yes. Thank you. So, and you all have Thank you so much for being here. Thank you FOR >> Thank you. Moving on to our public comments. Opportunities for public comments occur at the beginning of each agenda item and at this time for items not on the agenda.
I could go off for three hours on that. I will not tonight. Um but there are so there are programs as I'll show here in a minute to help the students who need the help. co-eing, there's a push-in model, there's mainstreaming, there's a success class or student who present with behavioral concerns, achieve class who student um who present with additional behavioral concerns more closely aligned with emotional disabilities. There are programs for children who present with severe autism. There are mild, moderate classrooms. There's adult transition. the base program in terms of severe moderate severe and and how teachers are aligned a secondary model and elementary model and also middle grades model alternative alternative alternately. Um again you use everything in this district from co-eing to push in to pull out um and in so doing complies with the federal mandate in ways that make sense for children.
Persons wishing to address the board of trustees should complete a speaker request form available on the information table at the back of the room and submit it to executive assistant prior to the meeting.
As I said I could go on for six hours. I will stop now. If you have any questions, I will do my very best to answer them as well as the directors of special education. Thank you for your attention. >> Thank you. >> You don't need to clap. I I don't No, please. It makes me blush. >> All right, >> Miss Alara, obviously, you know, I'm going to ask questions because that's in my wheelhouse. >> The question I have here has to do with um you you've given us the legal background. Yes. So because you are an attorney uh and we but you're talking to educators who are not attorneys. So the portion the question that I have is um the decision to place a student in special education is not a is not a legal issue. It is what the school site has made the decision that the child does need the special education services.
Each speaker is limited to maximum of three minutes. Each topic or term is limited to a total of 20 minutes. Board members cannot immediately respond to public comments as stated on the speaker request form. So I will call up our first speaker is Kristen Lent Liriano. Good evening. I will try to be even half as um impressive as the students that presented tonight, but I'll give it my best. Um I am a parent of students both at Kennedy and Walker um as well as a graduate of Kennedy myself. I have also been a band parent uh for six of those years and worked very closely with the program, even sometimes feeling like I sleep in that band room because I'm there so much. What I have witnessed over the last two years with my own children and the 140 students that I support in this program is a perseverance unmatched by anything I have ever known.
So you place the child in special education because the child is not meeting the academic requirement or the academic rigor in the mainstream. So to be able to transition a child from the from special education into a general education classroom, that decision has to also be made by an IEP team. Correct. >> Yes, an IEP team. >> Okay. when they make that decision by the IEP team um the team is made up of uh people who hold the credential correct >> it's made up of a general education teacher a special education teacher an administrator a person who can interpret the data >> the parents and also if the parents want someone to assist them someone else who can so it's a multi-disiplinary team it's not just credential people >> so the question that I have >> yes ma'am >> is when a district makes a decision to uh move a student from a special education classroom to a co-e environment.
From the transfer of their beloved assistant band director to Lexington to the loss of the replacement assistant a few short months later to a different career to the untimely passing of their junior high band teacher, Dear Mrs. Massie. and now with their trusted high school director who has run the program for 21 and a half years having to say goodbye to his disability or due to his disability, I'm so sorry. Um, these students have overcome enormous amounts of uncertainty and instability. All of these events were totally out of students and staff's control, but they have pressed on and still imp uh had an impressive and successful year so far. These kids truly have been an inspiration. However, the reason I bring this to the board's attention tonight is that there are proposed changes at Lexington Junior High that almost certainly will bring the same outcome of uncertainty and instability, but these changes are in your control.
>> Mhm. >> And the co-teer is not does not hold the California credential for special ed >> that the child possesses because that's the criteria for the child to be a special education student. that child possesses um a special need to be serviced by a specialist until they are able to return because the final goal is to be able to put the child back to general education. The the original is the the goal is not to keep the child in special education forever but it is to prepare the child to return to the mainstream. That is the final goal of special education. Correct. um sometimes. >> Okay. So I >> some but but but let me let me explain why >> because as I said um just because you have a disability does not mean you're eligible for special education services. Correct. >> People can have many different types of disabilities that don't rise to the level of requiring special education.
The current band director, Marcel Beran, has been given a letter of non-renewal for the upcoming fiscal year. The events that transpired causing Lexington to need a new band director were quite a shock to the community and resulted in a loss of trust from the students and parents alike. When it was proposed for Mr. Barrian to leave Kennedy and go support Lexington, however, Kennedy all rallied behind him because we knew he was the man for the job. Lexington needed someone to show up, pick up the pieces, and nurture the music program that needed all of the focus to stay on what matters most, the kids. He is a strong educator, a passionate musician, and most importantly, an incredibly empathetic human being. He facilitates an environment that upholds the strongest value in a school age band, which is all are welcome. He is able to challenge the most gifted students and foster their passion all the while advocating and encouraging the student who hasn't found their voice yet.
Um, again, I can go on for this for quite some time, and I'll be happy to sit down with any one of you who want to talk. Um, but back in the 1990s, I was also one of the attorneys who argued for um, full funding from the state because we were not getting the funding that we we were supposed to get under the subvention act of the California Constitution. One of the things that we made clear was that this is an individualized program for a child in light of how they present. There are some children usually who have more mild disabilities >> who may be able to receive special education services, get to the support that will allow them to mainstream and actually exit special education. There's also students who because of the severity of the the impact that their disability has on them, they will be in special education till age 22 and then they will be transitioned out to be helped by the regional center, the department of rehabilitation and other aspects of the community that help the members of our community with more severe disabilities.
All across the board because even I work at an elementary school district we hear from between schools, between districts, between parents and students alike what amazing things he's doing in rebuilding this band community. I urge you as the board to reconsider this intent of non-renewal. Please prevent any more setbacks to this community. Marcel is a teacher and a director the students depend on and cherish. And in today's world, we can't afford any more instability, especially when it is in your control. Thank you so much. The next speaker is Frank Chen. Hi, I'm here to show support for Mr. Beran. I can say from my experience with my daughter being in the band for two years. Um, she's a introvert person and she's really opened up and even learned a second instrument under Mr. Bergen's um, teaching. Um, I don't know Mr. Bergen personally, but I do see him at all the concerts and events because my daughter is there and I see the passion that he shows.
And therefore um I can't say that what you said is exactly correct in every case because of the I in idea individualized. >> Correct. So the question let me finish the question then. >> Sure. >> The question that I have is um we have a we I'm just going to give you um a student just a student in within our system um who has an IEP. >> Yes. >> Which is the individual. It's not an ILP, it's indiv IEP. Um, the student holds an IEP and in the IEP, it says that the student will be serviced by a special education uh person who holds the credential to be able to hold service that child until they are able to transition into the general population. That's what the IEP should really be looking at. But as a district, the question that I continue to hear, you know, and I I know that you represent the legal portion of it, but I I represent the classroom portion of it where the teacher is sitting.
I see the respect that he commands from the students and I think it's a a travesty for him to not be continuing to be a student there. Ultimately, I have my kid is in the eighth grade right now. So, I have no stake in the game after this year. I'm not there anymore. But the future students, that's a travesty for not them not to have that uh experience that my daughter has. And when I looked up uh how many students are in Lexington Junior High, the internet says tw uh 1,276 and I know there's about 230 240 students in the band. That's a elective. is roughly 20% of the kids are in that band. 20% of the kids are being influenced by Mr. Bergen and that's a elective class, not even a class that they have to take by themselves. So I urge you guys to reconsider and see the importance of Mr.
Um, as a district, the instructional assistant is not the teacher. The instructional assistant is assistant, not the teacher. So when that child makes that transition out of the general special education class to go into a a general education or whatever the movement is, the educational services cannot rest with the instructional assistant who does not assign the grade for this child. So that's where the the problem continues to arise as a district because we want to be sure that when we place the children in a special education classroom that they are being serviced by people who hold the credential for which we promise the parent that that's what they'll be getting. But if we move the child out of special education and then we move them to a general education classroom with the with the conversation of saying the general education teacher is going to provide the service but the special education teacher is still responsible to grade this child.
Bergen in uh Lexen Junior High. Thank you. >> Thank you. The ne the next speaker is Patricia Flores. >> Good evening members of the board. We stand here today on behalf of Mr. Brian, not because he asked us to speak, but because we deeply believe in the incredible work he's doing and the prof profound difference he's making for the students at Lexington Junior High School. Mr. Mr. Beran was personally selected by Brian Bellski, the district's VAPA director, who sought him out from his assistant role at Kennedy High School during an exceptionally challenging time following the Steve Grave situation. This is not a casual appointment. He was chosen because the district leadership recognized his integrity, his leadership skills, and his vision to rebuild and strengthen a struggling program. Since stepping into this difficult role, Mr. Beran has shown unwavering professionalism, commitment. He has worked tirelessly not just to stabilize the band program, but to rebuild it with clear intention and a forward-thinking vision for the 202526 school year.
Now, there's a a disconnect because the special education teacher is not in the classroom with that child when they make the transition to general education class, but you still expect the general education teacher to continue doing what they supposed to do and and they don't have the authority to give the grade because the IEP states this is the person who holds who's going to be responsible for this child. So I understand that you're giving us the legal portion of it but I am looking at it in terms of the actual real time issue that we face. >> There is a legal answer to what you're saying though and I would suggest that um if you would like either I or one of my colleagues to come and give a um more comprehensive kind of session even a training. The thing that concerns me about the from a legal perspective, the thing that concerns me about the way you're articulating this is that and I'll give an example.