PETITION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY: LAKE ARBOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE EAP PROGRAM, AND PGCPS LEADERSHIP

This petition was created because families and staff at Lake Arbor Elementary School have raised serious concerns throughout the 2025–2026 school year regarding student safety, special education services, staffing, transparency, communication, and accountability. This is not just one person running these petitions it's a community of people including parents, grandparents, community members, advocates, physical therapist, speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, and pediatric doctors of several specialties. This is not a disgruntled employee. Many of us are parents and we are unhappy under the leadership of Dr. LaTanya Sothern. We can't understand why she is constantly being saved by Area 1 office. Andrew Dalton and Kassandra Lassiter have been aware all year of the issues. Dana Edwards of Human Resources .... why does Sothern still have a job!!!! This is not about one child. This is about a pattern. Parents have submitted concerns to Principal Dr. LaTanya Sothern, Instructional Director Andrew Dalton, Kassandra Lassiter, Dr. Shawn Joseph before he was made permanent superintendent, Camille D. Johnson, Coordinating Supervisor for K-12 Special Education, Trinelle Bowman, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, Dr. Dana Edwards, Chief Human Resources Officer, Dr. Carletta T. Marrow, Chief of Schools, Branndon Jackson, and Frank Turner II, Integrity and Compliance Officer for Prince George’s County Public Schools. Parents also submitted online complaints. Senator Alonzo Washington reportedly stated that 16 complaints were forwarded to PGCPS. Families allege those concerns were ignored, minimized, or redirected without meaningful corrective action. Families have repeatedly raised concerns about alleged mismanagement, staffing instability, special education compliance, and the use of autism-related funding. Parents allege that Lake Arbor did not have an autism coordinator for SY2025–2026, despite families being told that a part-time autism coordinator position would support Lake Arbor and Ardmore Elementary. Instead, families have questioned why a Math Resource Chairperson/Math Resource Specialist position was created during the same school year while autism-specific supports remained unresolved. Parents are asking: Who approved these staffing decisions? Who is responsible for the budget? Why was funding available for a newly created chairperson position, but not for a dedicated autism coordinator or a safe, functional sensory room? Parents also allege that Ms Henry appeared to be connected on paper to an autism coordinator role while serving as Math Resource Chairperson/Math Resource Specialist. Families are demanding transparency regarding job titles, funding sources, credentials, and whether autism-designated resources were used appropriately. Parents also question the creation and implementation of the Special Education Chair position at Lake Arbor Elementary School during the 2025–2026 school year. Families state that this position had not previously existed at the school and are seeking transparency regarding why it was created, the qualifications required for the role, the selection process, and how the position was funded. Mrs M Saunders was a special education teacher at Lake Arbor for 1 school year (and hated it) and had no other experience in Special Education. A Special Education Chair is typically responsible for providing instructional leadership to special education staff, ensuring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), overseeing IEP implementation, coordinating evaluations and reevaluations, supporting teachers, monitoring legal timelines, collaborating with related service providers, assisting with complex student cases, and serving as a liaison between school administration, families, and the district’s Office of Special Education. These responsibilities generally require extensive knowledge of special education law, instructional practices, compliance requirements, and experience supporting students with disabilities. Parents have raised concerns regarding whether the leadership structure and staffing decisions at Lake Arbor provided the level of expertise necessary to effectively oversee a growing autism program. Families are requesting that PGCPS publicly explain the qualifications required for the Special Education Chair position, the selection process that was used, the training provided, and how the position has improved services for students with disabilities. Parents believe students with disabilities deserve experienced, qualified leadership to ensure compliance with federal and state special education requirements and to provide meaningful support to teachers, staff, and families. Instructional Director Andrew Dalton and Kassandra Lassiter were made aware of serious concerns involving school climate. A climate survey was reportedly issued to Lake Arbor staff, and families allege that the results showed significant dissatisfaction among staff. Parents also allege that Mr. Dalton later addressed staff in a meeting and dismissed their concerns by stating that complaints had been investigated and nothing was found. If true, this raises serious questions about oversight, accountability, and whether district leadership protected Dr. Sothern instead of protecting students, families, and staff. Families allege that Andrew Dalton had direct knowledge of the ongoing issues at Lake Arbor and failed to ensure meaningful correction. Parents believe his oversight allowed Dr. Sothern’s leadership concerns to continue without proper intervention. Dr. Shawn Joseph has publicly stated that special education is one of his “Big Rocks.” However, families allege that repeated special education concerns were escalated to district leadership without meaningful action. Parents have been redirected to the Ombudsman’s Office while still waiting for accountability, transparency, and actual correction. Trinelle Bowman, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, reportedly attended a community forum where parents cried and expressed deep frustration with PGCPS. Families also allege that when concerns were raised about Lake Arbor, the response did not reflect the urgency parents were experiencing. Parents further allege that statements were made claiming vacancies had been filled, although families continued to observe staffing gaps and instability. County Executive Aisha Braveboy publicly visited Lake Arbor Elementary during Read Across America Day and participated in a classroom reading event, including a classroom attended by a family member. The visit was promoted publicly by the school. While public school visits are welcomed, families question why public photo opportunities occurred while parents were simultaneously raising serious concerns about safety, special education, staffing, and student support. Parents have reported that students in the autism program were not consistently receiving inclusion opportunities, services, timely evaluations, reevaluations, or properly implemented IEP supports. Families allege that IEP meetings were rushed or thrown together, that staff did not consistently read or follow IEPs, and that students were graded in ways that did not reflect their individualized needs. Parents have reported that some autism classrooms were staffed by long-term substitutes, paraprofessionals, or teachers without proper special education credentials. Families also allege that staff were overwhelmed, teachers were injured, and special education staff have resigned, transferred, retired, left the county, or moved into other positions over the past two years. Families are also leaving. Parents have transferred their children, requested alternative placements, pursued nonpublic options, or moved away because they no longer feel safe or supported at Lake Arbor. When both families and staff are leaving, that is not a coincidence. That is a warning sign. Safety concerns have been ongoing. Parents allege that children have been injured on the playground, including incidents requiring stitches, and that families were denied access to video footage. Parents also report that a child hit his head on a cement wall in the hallway and that the family was not given access to footage. Families have raised repeated concerns about elopement, including students leaving supervised areas during recess and outdoor activities. One autistic student allegedly eloped so quickly that he ran toward the parking lot near Lake Arbor Way. A metal gate was reportedly installed only two weeks before the end of the school year. Parents have also raised concerns about the sensory room. Families allege that the sensory room was unsafe, poorly maintained, not consistently accessible, and at times a potential hazard. A sensory room is not a luxury. For autistic students, it can be essential for regulation, de-escalation, safety, and access to learning. Parents further allege that autistic students were excluded from school activities and celebrations, including events such as meeting Santa and career day. Families also raised concerns regarding nurse support and whether autistic students were treated with dignity, patience, and appropriate care. Parents also allege that during the fourth quarter of the 2025–2026 school year, a student enrolled in Lake Arbor Elementary School’s Elementary Autism Program was directed to leave the school because the student did not reside within the neighborhood attendance boundary. According to the family, the student remained out of school for more than one week because the receiving school, Ardmore Elementary School, had not yet accepted the transfer and reportedly believed the student was scheduled to begin with the 2026–2027 school year rather than immediately. As a result, the family alleges the student was left without access to educational services during that period. Parents are deeply concerned whenever any student with a disability experiences an interruption in educational services, particularly when continuity of instruction and implementation of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) are required under federal and state special education law. The family reportedly escalated these concerns to Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph. Parents state that the concern was subsequently referred to the Ombudsman’s Office. Families continue to seek transparency regarding how the situation was resolved, what steps were taken to minimize the student’s loss of instructional time, and what safeguards have been implemented to prevent similar disruptions for other students with disabilities. Parents believe every child receiving special education services deserves continuity of instruction, timely placement decisions, and uninterrupted access to the supports and services required by their IEP. They are calling on Prince George’s County Public Schools to review its transfer and placement procedures to ensure that students with disabilities are not left without educational services during administrative transitions. The concerns involve IDEA, FAPE, Section 504, ADA protections, Maryland special education regulations, IEP implementation, student safety, staff qualifications, proper supervision, and workplace/staffing conditions. Parents are asking for a review of whether Lake Arbor and PGCPS complied with federal and state requirements regarding special education services, disability protections, staffing, supervision, and safe access to education. Parents are demanding: 1. An independent investigation into Lake Arbor Elementary School’s EAP program. 2. A full review of special education staffing, credentials, and vacancies. 3. A budget review of autism-related funds and staffing allocations for SY2025–2026. 4. An explanation of why a Math Resource Chairperson position was created while autism-specific supports remained unmet. 5. A review of the alleged absence of an autism coordinator. 6. A safety review regarding elopement, playground injuries, hallway injuries, supervision, and access to incident footage. 7. A review of IEP implementation, inclusion hours, pull-out services, evaluations, reevaluations, and grading practices. 8. A review of staff turnover, resignations, transfers, retirements, and departures from PGCPS. 9. A public explanation from district leadership regarding what corrective action has been taken. 10. Direct accountability from Principal Dr. LaTanya Sothern, Instructional Director Andrew Dalton, Kassandra Lassiter, Dr. Shawn Joseph, Trinelle Bowman, Dr. Dana Edwards, Dr. Carletta Marrow, Camille D. Johnson, Branndon Jackson, and all district officials who were made aware of these concerns. Parents are tired of anonymous letters, emails, online complaints, meetings, community forums, petitions, and public statements being ignored. Parents are particularly troubled because Dr. LaTanya Sothern has publicly identified herself as an educator, author, advocate, and parent of children with special needs. Families believe those experiences should bring a unique understanding of the challenges faced by students with disabilities and their families. This is the leadership but who is accountable for all this is the question? Families are tired of being redirected. Staff are tired. Parents are tired. Children are suffering. Where is the accountability? Parents are asking how the needs of some of the district’s most vulnerable students could remain the subject of repeated concerns throughout the school year. Rather than drawing conclusions about intent, families are requesting an independent review of leadership decisions, staffing, student safety, special education compliance, and the overall climate within the Elementary Autism Program so that confidence can be restored and students receive the support they deserve. Lake Arbor families deserve transparency. Special education families deserve answers. Autistic students deserve safety, dignity, qualified support, and access to the education they are legally entitled to receive