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Parent urges Azusa Unified to improve "meaningful inclusion" for students with disabilities
Summary
A parent testified that students with disabilities are often excluded from classes like pottery and gym and urged the board to provide in-class supports and aligned collaborative prep periods so teachers can work together to include students.
Lynn Greer, a parent of two Azusa High School students, told the board at the April 22 special meeting that she has seen examples of students with disabilities being excluded from certain classes and asked trustees to consider systemic changes to support inclusion.
"I don't see meaningful inclusion, and I don't see students... in a pottery class or even a gym class sometimes," Greer said. She described one of her sons, who has Down syndrome, participating in prom and social activities but not consistently in academic or elective classes. Greer asked the board to look at staffing and scheduling changes — for example, aligning prep periods so general and special education teachers can collaborate — that would increase meaningful access for students with disabilities.
Why it matters: Greer framed the issue as a systemic one rather than a complaint about individual teachers and said improved in‑class supports would help students participate fully. She thanked administrators and teachers and urged the board to explore practical changes to classroom staffing and schedules that would enable better inclusion.
Board response and next steps: The chair thanked Greer and moved on to the next speaker; no on‑the‑record staff report or board action addressing Greer’s requests is recorded in the transcript. The meeting proceeded to other public comments and a closed session later in the agenda.
