It is with regret in Albany, CA

that I share tonight yet another story from a different woman parent of a child with special needs.  I take no pleasure in hurting further the career of the person named below.  I'd rather not be near the center of this controversy.  It is sad to say but I believe these women that are writing me that they had a problem with this individual and that there is a pattern here.  I believe them that they are afraid to come forward because of behavior by the Albany School District and this person.  I have no standing to ask the Albany School Board on Tues. evening 10/23 to delay and investigate this matter.  If you do, or if you are a journalist, ask the Board to look into what is causing the Albany special education families to have this perspective with this individual.  Is it possible to ask Alameda County to look into this? 

Read what these people are saying.  Do you think these women are making this up?  The Board is cc-ed above.

Signed,

Perry Gregg

http://www.perrygregg.name

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From an AUSD parent tonight who asked me to keep her identity anonymous:

"I cannot attend the meeting, but I ask that someone speak up to delay any decision until we have collected as much information as possible, in a safe (anonymous) forum, from our community - would you be willing to ask? 

 

I trust that you will keep the following comments confidential and not forward this message.  Feel free to share my comments anonymously.  I too would like to help others understand the lack of compassion and immoral behavior experienced in meetings with Marla.  This is not someone you want to entrust with ultimate power in education.  It is also critical that we, as parents of children in special education, protect the precarious relationship we have with the school district.  Our voices are somewhat silenced in order to maintain a good relationship; without this relationship, it may be difficult to secure an acceptable education for our children.

 

It really says a great deal about the character of a person of power when she repeatedly uses her advantage to victimize the most vulnerable children and families in our community (through intimidation and insults, intentional IEP non-compliance, stating district practices as if they were law, misrepresenting IDEA, etc.).  I have emails documenting illegal IEP non-compliance. 

 

We deserve a superintendent whose focus is the education and welfare of all our children, not how to get away with under serving our most vulnerable children (in an attempt look like a hero by saving money on individual services).  A longterm approach to save special education dollars would involve investment in services provided in our local public schools.  Services in the district are poorly developed, and do not meet the needs of our special education population.  Many of us have had to send our kids to costly private schools at the expense of the district (and many have hired attorneys to do this - an even greater expense to the district).  To me, this shows short-sightedness and mismanagement of special education dollars.  If your primary concern is fiscal, Marla is a bad choice as well. 

 

(just one example: last year AUSD sent 5-10 students to Children's Learning Center in Alameda and Rascob in Oakland. This is the size of a class at one of these schools.  The district provided transportation and full tuition, including private speech therapists and OTs.  AUSD still has not implemented the CLC or Rascob model in one of its own elementary schools and middle school to accommodate these and similar students.  Why not?)"