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Teachers and UTR tell board WCCUSD special-education services are unstable; union warns of strike and cites contractor spending
Summary
United Teachers of Richmond and multiple special-education staff told the board that the district has shifted to contracted, virtual speech services and reduced in-house SLP FTE, creating instability for students. UTR reported a unanimous no-confidence vote in special-education leadership and warned of strike action if demands are not addressed.
Teachers, parents and the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) used the board’s public-comment hour on Nov. 19 to lay out a series of complaints about special-education services in West Contra Costa Unified.
Multiple speech-language pathologists and special-education staff told trustees that students have experienced missed services, revolving contractors, and virtual-only therapy that they said is ineffective for early learners and those needing mouth-visibility for articulation work. Priscilla Laauo, a parent and speech-language pathologist, said the district could lose at least 1.2 SLP FTE next year and is relying on outside contractors to replace in-house positions.
Andrea Livinghouse, speaking for United Teachers of Richmond, accused the district of preferring contractors tied to private-equity firms and said those decisions threaten stability and undermine the bargaining unit. Francis Ortiz of UTR told the board the union membership voted unanimously for a vote of no confidence in special-education leadership and said the district had “doubled spending on private special education contractors — over $14 million this year,” urging the board to realign leadership and prioritize in-house staffing.
UTR representatives also said the union has prepared to form picket lines across the district and warned that schools could face minimal supervision if staff maintain job actions while the district keeps schools open. The district’s superintendent acknowledged the concerns during her report and said staff will prioritize recruitment and pathways to grow in-house talent, review contracts, and tighten staffing matrices; she did not provide contract-level financial details at the meeting.
Board members asked for additional details about specific site issues and supply shortfalls raised by commenters (for example, classroom nitrile glove allocations and equipment installations), and the superintendent said staff would follow up. No formal board action or vote on the special-education complaints occurred during the Nov. 19 meeting.
