ODE to review Youngstown’s special ed program

March 6, 2016 at 12:09a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Officials from the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children will be monitoring the city schools’ special-education program and meeting with parents this week.

The review was prompted by calls to the department by the Youngstown Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

“They’re saying what we’re doing is inappropriate,” said Stephen Stohla, interim superintendent. “There are allegations that we’re putting special-ed students in certain buildings and denying them fair and equal opportunities.”

He said he’s asked staff to cooperate with the ODE representatives who also were in the district last week.

“Whatever their findings and recommendations, we will comply with whatever they say,” Stohla said.

ODE’s Office for Exceptional Children set three times to meet with parents outside of the presence of district officials. Those meetings are:

5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at East, 474 Bennington Ave.

6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Newport Branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, 3730 Market St.

9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the main library, 305 Wick Ave.

Comments also may be submitted in writing to John.magee@education.ohio.gov.

Stohla doesn’t believe the district will reduce program offerings as a result of the review. He said, however, it may increase the number of students to whom those services are offered or reassign where some students attend school.

Jimma McWilson, chairman of the NAACP’s Educational Justice Committee, said there are classes at East High School that include mostly special-education students but a regular-education teacher is instructing them.

“You can’t be servicing kids with an IEP [Individual Education Program] if the classroom teacher is a regular-ed teacher,” he said.

Jackie Adair, school board member, said she’s been trying to get information about the district’s special-education programs and students from district employees but has been unsuccessful.

“My concerns have been ongoing,” she said. “This is not new.”

Adair said she gets calls from teachers and parents who are concerned about special-education students.

Last November, at the Ohio School Boards Association annual conference she attended a session on special-education law and asked questions. One of the presenters gave her his card and told her to call.

She did a few weeks ago after getting a call from a teacher. Adair’s call to the ODE officials led to a telephone conference with others at ODE, some of whom said parents should file complaints.

The NAACP also contacted ODE about the concerns, leading to the review.

While 32 percent of East students are considered special education, Youngstown Early College has zero percent special-education students and Chaney’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts schools include a low percentage of students with disabilities, McWilson said.

Both YEC and Chaney are considered choice schools – students apply for acceptance – and then are screened before they may enroll.

East, however, isn’t a choice school, McWilson said.

“Who’s making those decisions?” he said.

McWilson said the NAACP asked ODE to determine if the district is doing things the right way.

“Is that fair? Is that legal, and if it is, under what law?” he said. “We asked them to look into that.”