Parents urge better coordination for multilingual students with special needs, call for RAFT supports and parent advocates

Parents at a District Parent Advisory Committee meeting described lessons from a bilingual education conference and urged the district to strengthen supports for multilingual students with special needs, improve coordination with the RAFT after‑school program and expand parent‑led advocacy and interpreter access.

The recommendations came primarily from an extended public comment by a parent who attended multiple workshops at the conference and later helped organize a parent support group. The parent said the workshops highlighted “how we can help families of multilinguistic students with exceptional needs” and described a new group that has begun meeting to support families with special‑needs children who also speak multiple languages.

Why it matters: parents said multilingual students with special needs face gaps when they move between the school day and after‑school programs. They reported that after‑school staff often do not receive handoffs about students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans, which can leave children without needed accommodations and cause behavior to be misinterpreted.

An unnamed parent (Parent) said RAFT staff do not always know how to receive children with complex needs and asked the district to create a pre‑attendance “handoff” meeting so RAFT staff meet the child and review supports before the child begins the program. “When my child goes to RAFT, if the program doesn’t know how to receive these children, it’s the worst possible experience for staff and for the child,” the parent said.

The same parent and others pressed for clearer procedures for involving after‑school leaders in IEP meetings when appropriate, and for routine notification that families can request interpreters at school meetings. They said some parents do not know they may request an interpreter or that RAFT leaders can be asked to participate in IEPs.

Julie Hutt (Staff member) was thanked by the parent for helping form the special‑needs family support group; the parent described Hutt as having “been the bridge” to bring parents and staff together. The parent said the group emerged after families raised concerns at earlier meetings and that “parents insisted” until district staff supported the idea.

Parents suggested formalizing parent ambassadors or parent advocates at each school to represent families of children with special needs and to help them navigate services. “Having a person who represents these parents would be very important to make them feel included,” the parent said.

District staff present did not make a formal decision during the session but indicated they would share parents’ comments with school administrators. The discussion included requests for: - a formal handoff process between classroom teachers and RAFT/after‑school staff for children with IEPs or 504 plans; - clearer information to parents about the right to request an interpreter and who coordinates interpretation services at each school; - participation of RAFT staff in IEP meetings when useful to plan accommodations; and - training or staffing support for RAFT leaders to reduce overload and to better serve children whose behavior reflects unmet accommodation needs rather than willful misconduct.

The parent described the changes as practical steps that would reduce mislabeling behavior and improve inclusion: “Sometimes behavior looks like a problem, but it hasn’t been diagnosed — we need more information and more coordinated supports.”

The meeting did not include a motion or vote on these items. Parents noted prior progress: the parent support group and parent ambassador training were cited as examples that began after parents raised needs at earlier meetings. The parent said she will continue to work with school staff and other parents to follow up.

What’s next: the committee and parents plan further conversation with school administrators and RAFT coordinators outside the public session; the parent asked other parents to connect with school administrators after the meeting to ensure RAFT leaders are looped into IEP planning.

Ending: committee members and parents highlighted that improving communication and training across school‑day and after‑school programs is a low‑cost step toward inclusion, but said implementation requires clear assignments and follow‑up from district staff.