La Tercera walks back plan to move special ed students

A mid-school-year classroom change for students in a therapeutic support program class at La Tercera Elementary School will not happen, after parents expressed upset and concern that the move could disrupt their children’s routines and be a step backward from inclusion.

The class’ teacher, Melanie Cossey, first told parents on March 7 that the class would be moved to a back section of the La Tercera campus after spring break. The reason given by administrators – both from La Tercera’s Old Adobe Union School District and from the South County Consortium – was that the special-needs students were too disruptive to other students on the campus.

The South County Consortium is based at Petaluma City Schools but operates special ed classrooms within several school districts in and around Petaluma.

Unhappy over the proposal, a group of parents voiced their concerns during an Old Adobe district board meeting March 9, with 30-plus showing up at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting held at Miwok Valley School.

“The idea of moving the kids’ classroom with only two months left in the school years is asinine,” said parent Jon Hanley at the meeting. “The ones who have the hardest time with change shouldn’t be the ones asked to change. You are picking on kids who can handle it the least.”

“This is one more great example of not properly supporting children with disabilities,” commented parent Kasena Kafka, a speech pathologist. “This is not an isolated incident in the Old Adobe District. We need to create an awareness of the needs of these children. We need to train our teachers. We need to have more flexible models in the interest of understanding the needs of all children on campus.”

“The move would be detrimental to not only the child and the staff, but also to the family,” said parent Kristi Lozinto. “It impacts everyone involved. Moving the classroom of children with disabilities is heartbreaking. These children are not only learning academics, they are learning socially. This class is not only about academics, it is about life.”

Because the item was not on the meeting agenda, no school representatives or board members offered public comment. However, at the end of the regular agenda, the board adjourned to closed session without stating what was to be discussed.

On Monday evening, parents learned their advocacy was successful, receiving word that the class would not be moved until next school year at the earliest.

“We have no plans to move any classes at La Tercera,” Old Adobe Superintendent Cindy Friberg confirmed to the Argus-Courier on Monday night – marking the first and only time district representatives responded to multiple requests for comment.

“I’m just relieved,” said Caitlin McSorley after hearing the news. “I fight for every single thing my daughter has, and I’m glad she won’t lose this foundation. I hope it will be a positive example of inclusion.”

That showed how happy the outcome was compared to before the board meeting, when McSorley expressed disappointment in the proposed move. “It shows that there is a lack of ... interest in learning and helping teach students about differences in others,” she said at that time.

Cossey, who teaches third and fourth graders with special needs, originally said the district’s superintendents were ordering the move following noise complaints from teachers in adjoining classrooms, and she called on district officials to reconsider the move.

“The macro issue is discrimination,” Cossey said at the time. “Moving the special education classroom to make the general education population more comfortable is unjust and inequitable.”

Multiple parents stood in support of Cossey and her class, which has about a half dozen students. McSorley, whose daughter is a third grader in Cossey’s class, said that -- although her daughter’s ADHD can cause her to have “outbursts,” as do other students with similar challenges -- the class should not be prevented from engaging with and alongside the general education students.

Michi Termo is also a mother with a third-grader in the La Tercera class. Her son, who is autistic and has ADHD, would have suffered adverse effects were he moved, Termo said.

“My son is very sensitive to sensory input and so he gets very overwhelmed by changes. Changes that we might not necessarily think about can be very distracting for him – new smells, new sounds, new things to look at – can all be very distracting for him and in some cases very upsetting.”

She added, “He also is very sensitive and gets very attached to his routines, and he experiences grief when his routines change or when things in his life change.”

Termo’s relief, following the reversal of the administrative decision, was palpable.

“I'm grateful to our community for their support and I'm grateful that the administration has taken our concerns into consideration and made a decision that will better support our kids and their education through the end of the year,” she said.

Argus-Courier staff writer John Jackson contributed to this report.