Parents rally against closure of special ed center in southern California

From the San Fernando Valley Sun:

At the age of three, Natalie Ceja barely spoke 35 words.

It wasn't the first time her mother, Lupe Ramirez of Sylmar, (pictured) struggled with a child. Her five-year-old daughter Maria Luisa has Down Syndrome and she knew how important it was to get the appropriate help for her children.

And looking at the progress her older child had made at West Valley Special Education Center in Van Nuys, Ramirez sought to place her younger daughter there. It wasn't easy.

"They (school district) refused to give me information about the school, even though I already had a child there. They didn't even want to put me on the waiting list," said Ramirez. "They wanted to put her in the school of their choice."

This, apparently, because the Los Angeles Unified School District is considering closing the Center at the end of the school year. All 144 students, 60-70% of which are children of special needs, would be transferred to other similar schools.

Parents vehemently oppose this idea, citing the security and expertise the school has displayed for nearly four decades. On Monday night, hundreds of parents packed the school's auditorium, even spilling outside where a screen was placed so the parents could follow the actions inside. Ramirez also said the change would be difficult and damaging to her children.

"It is very difficult for them (children with special needs) to adapt to something new. I'm afraid they will lose all of their progress. It's starting anew", she said Monday night during a meeting at the school packed with angry parents and attended by LAUSD officials, including superintendent Ramon Cortines.

"In one month, she (Natali) is speaking 60 words. They have really good specialists here in the school," said Ramirez. Those are the same arguments of Carolee Nickel, mother of 9-year-old Kaylee, who also has Down Syndrome.

In a tearful plea before Cortines, Nickel said she had not chosen the center for being the closest school to her home, but "because it offers the best education possible".

She also charged that parents had not been made aware of decisions regarding the future of the school and that if the closure of the school is a result of budget problems at the LAUSD "let them start [the cuts] downtown and not at this wonderful school site".

According to Jean Brown,District 1 superintendent, the possible closure of the school is a result of the drop in the number of students there.

However, she emphasized that there are five other special education centers in District 1 and one in district 2. At least three of them are in nearby Encino and Reseda.

"It is not the intent of this district to close special education centers.

We recognize the need for special education center.We're simply concerned with the drop in attendance at the school," she said.

However, parents and teachers contend that the drop in attendance is a result of LAUSD tactics over the past year.

"They (LAUSD)manipulated our numbers by telling parents there were no openings. They didn't even offer the school to the parents, but they're sending students to other special education centers", said Hector Martinez, who teachers students with Down Syndrome and autism from kinder to third grade.

"We have not been allowed to open new classes, while other schools can," he said. "All we want is a fair chance like other schools.

I'm very frustrated that our parents were being lied to and we're not taking it lying down," said Martinez.

It's the same argument made by Roberta Mann, lead teacher at the school.

"A school like West Valley can not be duplicated. We ask you to support us and keep our doors open," she pleaded.

Parents Julio and Susana Reina from North Hills also hope the school remains open.

Both of their children, 6-year-old Julio Jr. and three-year-old Joshua, have Down Syndrome, attend the school, which they consider very safe and with the right specialists.

"To me this is unfair. This is a very good school, one of the best," said Julio. "There are no other schools with these amenities. Here, the children don't have to leave the building to go to the cafeteria or from one classroom to another.

They don't have to cross paths or streets. They're not exposed to dangers."

"The people who teach here are experts and the children learn a lot and feel safe. They treat them as normal children", said Susana, who accused the LAUSD of "playing dirty" by keeping the possible closure hidden from the parents until the very end.

Cortines, after hearing passionate speeches from the parents, said he would take the information into consideration when making his final decision.

However, he said "I will not be part of a child being denied access to a school", when referring to the LAUSD's refusal to let parents know about the school when referring them to special education centers.

He said he visited the school recently and saw "happy children", but warned that consolidation of schools is "happening all over the school district" as a result of reduction in state funds.

"It is not about how good a school is. It is about some of the difficult decisions we have to make," said Cortines. "I have listened to the speakers and I will take that into consideration. I think I understand your love for the school."

"This district is no longer able to have many small schools as before", he added.

But parents say the solution to that is simply to offer the school to other parents with special needs children. "Offer the school and enrollment will grow," said parent Steve Rosen.