Parent urges board to adopt equity recommendations, address teacher retention and ensure IEP participation rights

During public comment at the June 24 Coatesville Area School Board meeting, Lori Shannon Bailey urged the board to adopt equity-focused recommendations and raised concerns about teacher retention, special-education communications and parental rights under federal law.

Bailey summarized portions of the district equity report she described as "Your leadership matters: forwarding a new vision of excellence through equity and action," urging the board to allocate resources "to where they are most needed" and to make decisions through an ‘‘equity-informed lens.’’ She said the district should support staff who serve students from historically marginalized communities.

Bailey also flagged the district’s recent staffing changes, saying she had noted multiple resignations among teachers and asked whether the district had considered retention bonuses or other steps to reduce turnover. She asked for clarity about a point in an ICS contract that referred to a new middle school being in design and asked where that new middle school would be built.

On the district code of conduct, Bailey urged the board to ensure any proposal requiring exclusion of parents include notice and an opportunity to appeal; she said parents should not be automatically excluded for a school year and that decisions should be made case-by-case. She reminded the board that parents of students with disabilities are "legally entitled to participate in IEP meetings and other meetings related to special education services" and said they must be offered a virtual option, noting that parent participation in the IEP process is a federal requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The board did not take action on Bailey’s requests during the meeting; the comments were entered into the public record as part of the evening’s public-comment period.