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Derby parent says special‑education process left her son unprepared for adult life
Summary
A Derby parent told the board her son’s IEP and transition planning failed to provide real‑world supports and individualized goals, and urged the district to act for future students.
During the patron comment period at the Board of Education meeting March 24, parent Kirsty Montevias described a decade‑long struggle to secure individualized special‑education services for her son, Tyler Walker, and urged the board to overhaul transition planning and documentation practices.
“My son is leaving the school without a meaningful education, a real plan for his future, and the support skills and opportunities he deserves,” Montevias said. She told the board she had to “study laws at night, reading court cases, consulting anyone who would listen” to obtain services she believes the district already was required to provide.
Montevias criticized a recent prior written notice as “vague and misleading,” and said the district’s transition planning for her son felt like “a formality, not a road map.” She said the process “was built for compliance” and not for students with complex needs, and that the result was students graduating without “real world skills, structured supports, and a vision for life after school.”
Montevias also praised Derby teachers who advocate for students with disabilities and thanked the Special Services Parents Advisory Council for pursuing collaborative solutions. She asked the board to act so future students are not “robbed” of support and families do not have to exhaust themselves to obtain services.
The board received her comments during the public‑comment section (patron section) and did not offer immediate response; by district protocol, public comments are taken under advisement and do not elicit an immediate board reply.
