The following is adapted from testimony given by our Board President at Wednesday’s meeting of the Seattle School Board
On Tuesday, the Seattle Special Education PTSA provided feedback on the proposal by the district and the response from the union on educating students with disabilities, special education students. However, I’m not here to talk about the line items.
I’m here to acknowledge this system is not broken. I’m part of the problem. We all are.
Public education in Seattle or in any public school, works as it was designed. It was designed to exclude or minimize students with disabilities. Students learning the language of this system. Students who have a skin tone different from mine And still other students. I’m raising a kid with a disability so I can only speak on how the system of special education fails students with disabilities.
Blame feels like action and trauma is real. Yet there’s no single person, no one team, no “side” that has the right approach in the current system.
That’s the good news.
Acknowledging our roles in perpetuating the existing system is a first step. Solving a problem starts with admitting there is a problem.
While none of us here today built this long-standing system, we cannot simply push at the different parts of the existing system and expect wholesale change. And wholesale change is what we all need.
Change can be scary. The known, even if it’s painful, is more comfortable than the anxiety of the unknown. But look at the last 2 ½ years. We have all changed. Imagine three years ago, what contract would be written if we knew what was ahead. What changes would we envision for the future based on what we know now?
Everyone here, let’s get honest about our roles in this current system. Let’s build trust with one another because our students, all of our students, need a changed system. I and the Seattle Special Education PTSA are ready to help.
