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Parent tells Charles County board his daughter made no reading progress in four years; district outlines complaint and compensatory services process
Summary
A parent told the Charles County Board of Education Dec. 10 that his 8th-grade daughter with a specific learning disability remains at a second-grade reading level despite years of IEP interventions; district staff described the local complaint, compensatory services and mediation pathways.
A Charles County parent told the Board of Education at the Dec. 10 public forum that his 8th-grade daughter with a specific learning disability has made no reading progress since fourth grade and that he has not received adequate help through IEP meetings and school interventions.
Scott Burris, who identified himself as the childs father and said his family has five children in the system, said he had "begged the school" for help and described persistent skill gaps, including basic addition and subtraction, despite what he described as repeated IEP and intervention meetings. "With all these assistances and everything she's had, she's made no progress," Burris said. He said he had asked for another IEP meeting and was told by school staff to contact central special-education leadership rather than hold a school-level meeting.
District officials who later addressed the board described the complaint-resolution path available to families. Kevin Lowndes, chief of teaching and learning, and other staff explained that parents should first raise concerns with the classroom teacher and the school principal; if the issue is unresolved, families may contact special-education administration at central office. If the district finds that required IEP services were not provided, staff said the system must offer compensatory services to make up for missed instruction and could provide those outside the school day or via a contracted provider. The superintendents office said some disagreements proceed to mediation or state complaint resolution but that many are resolved through local review and compensatory arrangements.
Why it matters: the public presentation highlighted continuing tensions about special-education implementation and the importance of clear communication and documentation in IEP delivery. District staff emphasized established complaint and compensatory-service procedures for families who believe their childs IEP promises were not met.
What comes next: district special-education leadership offered to review individual cases; families can request mediation or state complaint resolution when local processes do not resolve disputes.
