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Parents tell board ICT classroom behavior is disrupting learning; nominee seeks BOCES trusteeship
Summary
During public comment at the April 7 meeting a Myers Elementary parent described ongoing behavior problems in ICT classrooms and said district interventions have been ineffective. A separate speaker, Bryce Holland, introduced himself as a nominee for the BOCES board of trustees.
A Myers Elementary parent told the Wappingers Central School District Board of Education on April 7 that behavior issues in integrated co‑teaching (ICT) classroom settings are interrupting students’ learning and that she had not seen effective corrective action.
Melanie Weldon, a parent and a licensed mental‑health counselor, said both of her children are in ICT settings and that “their learning experience, including their peers, is being interrupted by behavior issues.” She told the board her son’s tic disorder has worsened and that students are returning home upset. “My son is in sixth grade. His learning experience has been horrific since December. Nothing has been done,” Weldon said, adding that the family had reported concerns to district staff and sought support that she believes has not produced results.
Weldon said parents are concerned that behavior‑management interventions contracted by the district have not produced positive results and that some students do not want to attend school because of the environment. The board’s public‑comment procedures were read aloud at the start of the comment period; meeting officials reminded speakers that privacy laws limit discussion of individual students and that the board generally will not respond to questions immediately but will follow up as appropriate.
Separately during the public‑comment period, Bryce Holland introduced himself as a candidate for the BOCES board of trustees and summarized his background. Holland said he graduated from the University of Virginia, has a self‑designed major focused on cradle‑to‑career education, and works with the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet. He described a personal commitment to using BOCES programs to close opportunity gaps and asked for consideration for the trustee position.
The board did not take immediate action on the public comments. District staff and the board reiterated that concerns submitted through the appropriate administrative channels will be followed up and that formal complaints about individual students or staff must proceed through privacy‑compliant channels.
