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Parents and teachers press Antioch Unified for better special‑education services and classroom supports
Summary
Multiple public commenters and classroom teachers told the board that students with IEPs are not receiving required services, bilingual aides and behavior supports are insufficient, and teachers are repeatedly requesting help without effective district response.
At the Sept. 11 meeting of the Antioch Unified School District Board of Education, parents and teachers used the public‑comment period to lay out sustained, specific complaints about delivery of special‑education services, insufficient bilingual instructional aides and classroom safety.
Parent Aisha Hall described repeated breakdowns in IEP communication and service delivery for her twins: “I had to make them tell me what grade levels my kids are at,” she said, and added that she had to request outside evaluations after district processes failed to resolve problems. Hall warned she may escalate her complaint to the state in Sacramento if local remedies do not produce change.
Parent Darell Jackson and student Denzel Jackson described persistent bullying and what they said was inadequate staff response; the parent said he began recording meetings to document the district’s handling of incidents. Denzel said classroom supports were insufficient and that he was considering private school because he felt instruction was not helping him learn.
Classroom teachers also addressed the board. One teacher said the district had not provided required speech or related services in some cases five weeks into the school year. First‑grade teacher Amber Dagin said she had been “begging for help” all school year: “I have spent all school year begging for help and now I’m here because I don’t know what else to do,” she said, describing evacuations after students threw chairs and a lack of sufficient adults to manage behaviors and provide services required by IEPs.
Board members acknowledged the concerns and said special education remains a priority; Dr. Lea and other board members noted recurring requests for independent educational evaluations (about 9–10 per year in recent data) and said the board will continue probing root causes and compliance issues. Several members cited staffing shortages and the cost and legal implications of unmet IEP obligations.
