Parents, teachers urge board to halt changes to Mitchell Early Start program

Several parents and former and current Early Start teachers addressed the board during public comment, asking officials to stop recent staff reassignments and proposed reductions to the Mitchell Early Start program. "I beg you to please find a way to put a stop to the changes, at least for this school year so that all these things can be discussed and worked out before it's too late," public commenter Debbie Price Flores told trustees, citing decades of service and the program's role as a family support group.

Jessica Hernandez, a parent with three children who have participated in Early Start, said the district's 45-day assessment timeline was unfair: "The assessment to be in 45 days, but we've been out for 38 days," she said, arguing the timing creates an appearance that the program is being set up to fail. Teacher Lisa (speaker 12) recalled starting in Early Start as a student teacher and later returning as an instructor and warned that reducing both a teacher and an instructional assistant could undermine a program that has historically operated with two teachers and two instructional assistants.

Speakers pointed to the program's history of state compliance and later recognition as a model for natural environments, parent participation and bilingual programming. They also described cases where Early Start staff provided intensive family support, including responding to traumatic events. Trustees did not take an immediate action during public comment; staff received the concerns and the board directed follow-up through staff channels so the issues can be brought back for board consideration.