District 109 asks to meet with special ed parents

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Updated: March 17, 2012 8:10AM

(An earlier version of this story misattributed information in one of Susan Hans’ quotes. The Review regrets the error)

Parents of special needs children in Deerfield School District 109 were surprised to learn their leaders were invited to meet with the superintendent Feb. 16.

And so were the leaders, parents Katie Bittner and Lisa Polisner.

Parents met for the first time Wednesday evening in a newly formed advocacy group addressing special needs issues. Susan Hans, a Northern Suburban Special Education District advisor who attended the meeting at the Trax Tavern and Grill, extended the invitation on behalf of Superintendent Renee Goier.

Dr. Goier had asked for Hans’ help in the matter, she said. If Bittner and Polisner accepted the invitation to meet with Goier and Assistant Superintendent Paula Oswiak, Hans added she would facilitate the session.

The parent group, which has built strength and cohesiveness by sharing the problems they’ve had getting accommodations they believe their children need, also shared ideas on how to proceed.

Bittner said the group needed to gather the best practices and present what works to the district School Board.

“We also need to educate the board members about what is happening. Some might not know, though others don’t care,” said Gayle Byck, a parent of three children.

“Parents of gifted children have put candidates up for the board. We need to balance them with people who care about special education, although there are no board seats open until next year,” she added.

Parent Barry Grossman wanted an ad hoc committee of parents formed to report to the School Board about special education needs, because the members are not getting the facts from the administrators, he said.

Adrienne Schwarzbach, another parent, stated that the board should be told that an individualized education plan is not the only way to evaluate special needs children.

Parents need to know not only what progress their children make, but also how they compare to their peers.

“There’s definitely a disconnect between us and the board, and we need to change that,” added Sheri Basile, also a parent.

Hans noted some of the complaints she had heard from parents that evening — no transparency, no data sharing, no voice in decision-making, no truth, no respect and no trust.

“Some things may be the result of cuts. Cuts are going to happen. That’s a fact. But it seems that it’s the way that information has been managed and the way that parents have been treated in the process that is the trouble here,” Hans said of the conversation.

No one in the group of about 30 disagreed. However, they agreed they needed to work together to change the situation.

Polisner and Bittner asked everyone present to fill out cards stating what they wanted relayed to the superintendent during the Feb. 16 meeting.

“None of us are alone anymore,” Polisner said.

“And we’re not going away,” Bittner added.