Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Parents and teachers defend IDEA Academy and call for apology after trustee's remarks
Summary
Multiple parents, teachers and students used the Ventura Unified public comment period to dispute Trustee James Foresight's Dec. 13 social-media remarks about the IDEA Academy, calling them inaccurate and divisive and urging the board to back the program and support affected staff and families.
Several parents, teachers and students urged the Ventura Unified School District board on Jan. 14 to defend the IDEA Academy and to press a board member for an apology after repeated comments they described as inaccurate and divisive.
At the start of public comment, Alex Wolf — identified by the board as a parent and community member — said the program helps diversify enrollment and that "there is no gate requirement, no math requirement or any other requirement to get in; all you have to do is apply." He asked trustees to "work with me to continue making that possible."
Russell Helmstead, who identified himself as a math teacher who has taught at the site for 10 years,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
