LAUSD Candidate Karla Griego on Special Education

“Depriving our students of the holistic education appropriate to them is an injustice.”

– BD5 Candidate Karla Griego

Karla Griego is one of the three candidates who qualified for the March 5, 2024, ballot in LAUSD’s Board District 5. This is the seat left open by Jackie Goldberg’s retirement.

The UTLA endorsee has participated in past editions of the LAUSD Candidate Forum series answering questions about PROP-39 Co-Locations, Student Safety, and The Budget. Additional information about Griego can be found on her website.

For the October edition of the Candidate Forum, candidates were asked five questions about Special Education. For the introduction to this subject along with answers from other candidates, please see the article LAUSD Candidate Forum: Special Education.

The following are Griego’s responses, printed exactly how she provided them:

• Question 1: If you were on the Board, would you sponsor and work for the passage of the proposed "Improving Special Education Within the LAUSD" resolution? YES
• Question 2: Have you signed the petition supporting the proposed "Improving Special Education Within the LAUSD" resolution? YES
• Question 3: Federal funding to provide Special Education services is based on the size of the total student body, not the number of students receiving services. Therefore, charter schools benefit financially by discouraging the enrollment of these students as they receive the same amount of funding without having to pay the costs of providing the services. Not surprisingly, the data shows that charter schools as a whole enroll a smaller percentage of children with Special Education needs than their public school counterparts. As a Board Member would you look for ways to recoup the costs from charter schools that have below-average enrollment of students with Special Education needs? YES
• Question 4: Will you have a member of your staff dedicated to supporting families with Special Education needs? YES
• Question 5: As a Board member will you ensure that the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is able to act independently of District staff so that it can provide you with feedback that is truly reflective of what the Special Education community is experiencing? YES
• Do you have any other thoughts that you would like to express about this subject?

Students with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable populations in LAUSD. They deserve to have the academic setting that supports their academic and social-emotional development.

As a special education teacher for 19 years, I have worked diligently not only to provide my students with access to the general education curriculum, but also to support their access to all general education activities, like theater, yoga, meditation, outdoor education, and visual art. I have seen my students grow in their independence, confidence, and ability to build relationships.

My students’ growth happened because they were in the appropriate setting for their needs and strengths. Depriving our students of the holistic education appropriate to them, is an injustice.

As a Board member I will work hard to ensure that the LAUSD provides students with disabilities the appropriate educational setting and program for their individualized plans: smaller class sizes, more teacher/assistant support, and varied programs to meet students' needs. I will work with parents, students and teachers to create the best possible ways to implement inclusion programs that allow for students to be in the general education setting and receive the necessary support to help them thrive. I will support teachers by making sure they get the right training, planning, and compensation to implement our inclusion programs with fidelity. Lastly, I will work with other Board members, community and labor partners, to ensure LAUSD joins the movement to demand that the Federal government fulfill the promise and fully fund Special Education.

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Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD’s District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him “a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles.” For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.