During the recent Professional Standards & Teacher Education Board meeting, parent advocate Alicia Banes brought urgent attention to critical flaws in Maryland's special education system. Banes, whose 12-year-old son Dean has an Individualized Education Program (IEP), revealed that his school failed to properly document his Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) due to a technical oversight. This oversight has led to significant delays in securing necessary evaluations and services for Dean, highlighting systemic issues in compliance and accountability within the state's educational framework.

Banes detailed her ongoing struggle to obtain an independent educational evaluation and functional behavior assessment, emphasizing that she is currently the only one analyzing the data from Dean's daily tracker to inform effective interventions. She expressed concern over retaliation from school officials, including the cancellation of Dean's occupational therapy evaluation after a compliance supervisor informed a vendor that they were no longer authorized to provide services. This has compounded the challenges her family faces in accessing the support Dean is legally entitled to.

The emotional toll on Dean has been severe, with incidents of escalated behaviors and a lack of trust in the educational system. Banes urged the board to implement comprehensive training for educators on special education laws, establish oversight mechanisms for retaliation complaints, and ensure consistent reviews of IEPs and BIPs to foster accountability.

Her testimony underscored the pressing need for reform in Maryland's special education policies, advocating for a system that supports students like Dean and empowers parents to advocate without fear of retaliation. The board acknowledged her comments and encouraged further written submissions for review, signaling a willingness to engage with the concerns raised.