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Parents say special‑education classes opened without permanent staff, call for immediate fixes
Summary
At the Vallejo City Unified board meeting, multiple parents described special‑education classrooms that opened this year without permanent teachers or paraeducators and recounted student safety incidents; they urged the board to prioritize recruitment, stable staffing and accountability.
At the Vallejo City Unified School District board meeting, parents told trustees that some special‑education classrooms opened this school year without permanent teachers or paraeducators, leaving vulnerable students without the stable, trained support they need.
Kimberly Marquez Cortez, a parent of a kindergarten student in the district’s special‑education program at Grace Patterson Elementary, said four special‑education classes on that campus began the year with only one permanent teacher and no paraeducators. "Some of our most vulnerable students started the school year without the trained teachers and essential classroom support they rely on to learn and stay safe," she said, adding that she removed her daughter from school until a permanent teacher was in place.
Marquez Cortez urged the board to "recruit and retain qualified teachers," provide long‑term substitutes or PAR support where needed, and ensure accountability for safe, structured learning environments in every special‑education classroom. She said the problem is a district operational issue rather than an individual student's IEP concern.
Other public commenters pressed the board on campus safety and communication after student assaults. Matthew Agular described past incidents affecting his children, saying his daughter had been stabbed years earlier and that school staff had not notified him promptly. "You expected the superintendent to lead with honor and actually start doing something good and productive," he told trustees, urging stronger responses to violence and better parent notification.
Trustees did not take immediate action during public comment but later discussed staffing and program monitoring in other agenda items. The record shows the board approved several personnel‑adjacent motions and asked staff to provide implementation and monitoring plans for new contracts and programs that include measurable attendance, academic and discipline metrics.
The board’s next regular meeting and study session is scheduled for Oct. 15; parents and speakers asked the district for follow‑up reports on special‑education staffing and safety protocols.
