Public commenters raise concerns about ESE restructuring and staff changes at Turie T. Small

At the 6 p.m. public-input period on March 25 several speakers urged the board to slow or revisit personnel and operational changes in the district’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) operations and to postpone a personnel decision at Turie T. Small Elementary School.

Why it matters: speakers described wide-reaching operational changes affecting ESE staff and students — including the reported elimination of 30 school-based IEP facilitator positions and creation of five “student staffing specialists” — and said the workload and logistics of the replacement positions have not been fully defined. Separately, a teacher and a school community asked the board to reconsider or postpone a termination decision and described damaged school culture at Turie T. Small.

Elizabeth Albert, who identified herself during public input as speaking about the ESE restructuring, said staff had been told the district would eliminate 30 school-based IEP facilitator positions and create five student-staffing specialist positions. Albert told the board she was given a workload estimate that each specialist would handle “at least 450 meetings over a 150 day period.” She asked whether the district had accounted for time needed for testing, training, audits, suspension reviews, manifestation-determination meetings, meetings with attorneys and advocates, sick leave and other ordinary work interruptions.

Albert also said district program specialists were being moved to a different building and that affected employees had not been provided mileage or logistical details; she reported staff had been told they must move in April and that the relocation could harm support for West-side schools that currently house these specialists.

Teacher Christopher Gibbs (Torie T. Small Elementary) asked the board to postpone a termination decision regarding Lakeisha Byrd and to conduct a “thorough and impartial review of the circumstances.” Gibbs said he was not asking the board to overturn personnel processes but asked for time to ensure interviews and information-gathering occurred. He said the school’s culture is “shattered” and described multiple staff departures.

Lakeisha Byrd addressed the board and said parents and community members had been actively commenting and tagging board members on social media in support of her and asked that the board “hear the community, hear the students, hear the parents.” She said school events such as book tastings and family nights had been well attended, and she urged board members to consider the parents’ and students’ statements before finalizing personnel action.

Board members did not take a documented personnel vote or formal action during the public comment period. Trustees and staff did not announce any immediate change to the reported plans; speakers asked that the district convene meetings with impacted ESE staff to gather input and address questions about workload, testing coverage, transportation and the logistics of any office relocation.

The public record at the meeting included these specific operational details raised by speakers: the elimination of 30 IEP facilitator positions, creation of five student staffing specialists, a reported workload estimate of 450 meetings per specialist across 150 workdays, and an April move date for program specialists (reported by commenters). The district did not present a staff plan or documentation during the comment period; staff responses requested follow-up and review but did not announce changes on the record.