Parents and teachers at Caldwell-West Caldwell urge return of resource/pull-out special-education options; union vote of no confidence cited

At the Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education meeting on April 28, 2025, parents, teachers and union representatives urged the district to restore resource- or pull-out-based special-education services for elementary students and raised concerns about leadership after a vote of no confidence by certified staff.

The speakers said the district’s move toward a primarily inclusion-based model had reduced access to smaller-group instruction. Tara Weinfeld, a Caldwell resident, longtime educator and mother of a child with an individualized education program, said, “Eliminating resource rooms was a major mistake and a disservice to children who thrive in a small setting and need more than an inclusion setting.”

The comments followed a teachers’ association action. Jesse Bredell, a James Caldwell High School teacher and vice president of the Caldwell-West Caldwell Education Association (CWCEA), said the association’s vote of no confidence addresses “a leadership role, not an educational program,” and urged more collaborative communication between classroom teachers and upper administration.

Why it matters: Parents and teachers said the change affects students with identified learning differences who, they say, sometimes require intensive, small-group instruction — for example, for dyslexia or early literacy intervention. Several parents said they had sought outside tutoring or summer programs because they felt district services were insufficient.

Speakers described how the service-model change has played out in practice. Madeline Brown, a longtime local parent and advocate, told the board that “moving to a full inclusion model instead of giving the students what they need is behind the 8‑ball now.” Michelle DeRosa, a school psychologist and case manager, urged the board to “offer a breadth of programming” rather than a single approach, calling a single-program K–5 model “the definition of a cookie-cutter program.”

Union and staffing concerns also drew attention. Former CWCEA president and James Caldwell High School English teacher Sue Callahan said she had compiled resignation and retirement figures; she said 27 special-education staff resigned over a recent period and that 35 other teachers resigned, with 42 retirements in the past five years. Callahan said she reviewed board minutes to compile the lists and said the turnover “is unlike anything I’ve seen in the 44 years that I’ve worked here.”

Parents described individual impacts. Mandy Brady said her son, who has an IEP, “comes home from school sometimes crying … because he doesn’t feel like he’s comfortable or he’s learning the way that he could be learning,” and that she had paid for a $2,500 summer literacy program because she felt district services were inadequate.

Several speakers referenced state and federal expectations for special education. Alyssa Manelli presented a petition signed by more than 200 residents and quoted national and state guidance, saying placement must be individualized and that “the regular education classroom is not the least restrictive environment if they can’t make progress.”

What the board did: The board did not take formal action on program changes or on the vote of no confidence during the meeting. When asked about personnel matters, board members said such matters could not be discussed publicly at that time; the public record of personnel items is released after votes, the board said.

Other activity tied to the special-education community: district parent facilitators said the special-education parent advisory group (CPAC) is hosting an inclusive resource fair on May 1 at James Caldwell High School; organizers said about 30 vendors and community agencies will attend so families can meet service providers.

The meeting record shows public concern remains strong. Speakers asked the board to reconsider a single-model approach for young students, to use student data to guide placement decisions and to involve teachers, parents and specialists in program design and review.

The board did not announce a timetable for any program changes or a response to the vote of no confidence at the April 28 meeting.