Dear Oakland Community, For all of you who are still concerned about special education in OUSD, please join us at tonight's OUSD Board of Education Candidates Forum on Special Education, hosted by OUSD Community Advisory Committee (CAC). This event will take place from 6 to 8 pm at Cole campus, located at 1011 Union Street, Oakland, CA 94607. Ten candidates from four districts have confirmed their participation in this historic forum, which we believe may be the first-ever candidates forum specifically focused on special education and kids with disabilities in OUSD. Issues of special education are a critical part of the OUSD ecosystem and public education in general. The forum comes at a unique time when OUSD is facing significant questions about its special education programs. Candidates will be asked to speak to issues such as: • The promise of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and what it means for OUSD in 2016 • Fiscal transparency in special education • Inclusion and conditions that make it possible • Recruitment, retention and hiring of special education staff • Decentralization of special education programs and accountability • Equity and serving students of color with disabilities Please come engage the candidates on the future of special education in OUSD with our unique, diverse and vibrant community. The forum will be moderated. Doors will open at 5:30 with light dinner available.