Teachers and parents urge GGUSD to halt TK–kindergarten combos, cite safety and learning losses at Monroe Elementary

At the April meeting of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education, multiple teachers and parents urged trustees to abandon plans for transitional kindergarten–kindergarten (TK–K) combination classes for the 2026–27 school year and to act quickly to address safety and lost instructional time at Monroe Elementary.

Sarah Held, president of the Garden Grove Education Association, told the board that TK and kindergarten are distinct programs with different curricula, standards and instructional models and that combining them creates steep developmental and classroom-management challenges. "TK students are just beginning to develop independence," Held said, while kindergarteners "require more structured, standards-based instruction." She asked the board to reconsider combinations and to ensure meaningful, targeted professional development for any teachers assigned to blended classrooms.

Several teachers amplified that plea. Kathleen Barbado, who identified herself as a transitional kindergarten teacher, said the district receives additional funding "over $5,000 per TK pupil" and urged the board to use those funds to form straight TK and kindergarten classes rather than combos. Janette Dabert, a TK teacher with 36 years' experience, said the district currently excludes TK–K configurations from summer professional-development academies and warned that teachers and younger children would be underserved without targeted training and staffing commitments, including additional adult support when class sizes cross critical thresholds.

Parents described classroom disruptions and mounting learning loss. Grace Carmona said her daughter’s kindergarten class at Monroe Elementary had been evacuated repeatedly — "the class evacuated 16 times," she said quoting school-provided records — and asked what the board could do to make up instructional time with only about six weeks left in the school year. Jasmine Sandoval said a single student’s violent outbursts had prompted frequent evacuations and called on the district to evaluate alternative placements and to provide clear, timely communication to affected families.

Other public commenters pressed related special-education concerns. Josh Peacock, vice chair of the district’s CAC, urged development of a "communication access initiative" so nonverbal and minimally verbal students receive consistent AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) supports and trained staff.

Board members responded that they heard the concerns and expressed willingness to explore solutions. Trustee Walter Muneton and others said they supported a study session to examine the issues more closely; Trustee Dina Winn called the combination concern "common sense" and said she would support a solution to resolve it. The board did not take a formal vote on TK program structure at the meeting.

What the speakers asked for and what remains unresolved: teachers sought explicit commitments that TK funding will be used to avoid combos, targeted professional development for TK–K teachers, and additional staffing when needed. Parents asked for immediate plans to make up instructional time at Monroe and for more transparent communication about safety incidents and placement options. The district did not provide detailed answers on funding reallocation, the number of TK–K combo classrooms projected for 2026–27, or specific alternative placements for disruptive students during the meeting; staff comments promised follow-up information.

The board’s next procedural step: trustees said they will consider scheduling a study session or additional presentations to gather data and potential remedies. Parents and teachers asked that any policy change include clear professional-development plans and that families receive timely updates on remediation and safety plans.