DESE review finds Brockton Public Schools largely in compliance; licensure for seven special‑education teachers flagged

Dr. Jamie Labilwa, assistant superintendent of unified student services for Brockton Public Schools, told the School Committee that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) completed an integrated monitoring review and found the district in full implementation on nearly all civil‑rights and special‑education criteria, with one area rated partially implemented.

The report matters because the DESE review evaluates whether federal and state special‑education and civil‑rights protections are actually being delivered in schools; a partial rating requires a corrective action plan and follow‑up reporting to the state.

DESE’s site review covered compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71B (special education), and a range of civil‑rights statutes cited in the presentation, including the Every Student Succeeds Act and Title IX. Labilwa said the district received “very positive feedback” from DESE after school tours, classroom observations, staff and principal interviews, and parent and community outreach.

“Brockton Public Schools is in full implementation of our responsibilities for student civil rights as well as special education services,” Labilwa said during the meeting. He and Jamie Langley, associate director of exceptional learning, told the committee that reviewers endorsed district implementation across dozens of criteria including outreach (child find), parent advisory council activity, assistive technology provision, IEP implementation, restraint procedures, and accessibility of extracurricular programs.

The single partially implemented criterion was SE‑51, the appropriate licensure of special‑education teachers. Officials said seven teachers were identified as not possessing the currently recognized special‑education licensure required by DESE. The district has submitted a corrective action plan and a timeline: some teachers are enrolled in the district’s structured guidance program; others hold emergency or waiver licenses that must be resolved. Human Resources will notify staff approaching license deadlines, and the district has used IDEA grant funds to provide supervisory support and quarterly check‑ins for licensure candidates.

“We partnered with HR this year to not only look at the internal monitoring process of identifying teachers who are wavered or in an emergency license, and continuing to notify teachers within a timely manner,” Labilwa said. He added that progress reports on the corrective action were submitted to DESE, and the district expects individual teachers to reach compliance by June 30 or be reassigned outside special‑education roles if they do not meet licensure requirements.

Committee members praised the work. School Committee member Miss Oliver called the results “a breath of fresh air,” and Member Gomes said the finding was an accomplishment for the entire district.

Next steps the administration described include continuing the HR monitoring process, maintaining the structured guidance and supervisory program funded in part by IDEA grant dollars, and submitting ongoing progress reports to DESE as required. No formal committee vote was required or taken on the report; the item was presented for information and committee questions.