Thank you for your continued support!

We have over 300 signatures strong.  Our goal is 1000. Please keep sharing the petition. 

If you feel inclined, please write to the Westport Board of Education this week.

A sample letter is copied below for you to cut and paste or modify.

Emails should be sent to: boe@westportps.org 

Please note that the decision makers are all the members of the Westport Public Schools Board of Education.

______________________

Dear Members of the Board of Education, 

I am writing to respectfully express my support for a comprehensive, transparent, and fully independent review of the special education program. This program review should be voted on by the Board of Education and conducted by a well-known, reputable agency that has extensive experience conducting reviews of special services in public school districts. The review should include, at minimum, the following components: 

• Comprehensive stakeholder feedback - surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews
• An analysis of inclusion rates and practices
• Careful review of standardized test scores and the achievement gap over time 
• Mental health data for students in the special services program 
• Adherence to state and federal laws and mandates 
• Student safety protocols - restraint and seclusion data; training for all staff; parent communication
• Cost effectiveness and efficacy of current staffing models   

In addition, I recognize that the program review will take considerable time to conduct, and I am writing to advocate for responsiveness to the needs and interests of special education families over the course of the 2026-2027 school year. In order to maintain the public trust or rebuild it where it has been broken, it is essential that the Board of Education, through Mr. Rizzo, assistant superintendent of pupil personnel services, provides biweekly updates on matters related to special education during its regular Board of Education meetings. To be clear, I am not requesting that the entire meeting be focused on special education. Rather, special education updates should be an ongoing and regular agenda item for each Board meeting. Topics covered should include, but not be limited to: 

• Responses to questions posed to the Board and administration regarding special education matters
• An overview of the district’s progress implementing the recommendations from the 2017-2018 CES special education review 
• Information regarding student standardized test data and the processes the district employs to disaggregate, analyze, and set targets to close the achievement gap 
• Presentations on data related to special education parent satisfaction and feedback (inclusive of the surveys Mr. Rizzo referenced during the May 20 meeting)
•  Any district action plans regarding special education initiatives 

The May 20 community conversation revealed some troubling experiences for some parents whose children are being served in the Westport Public Schools. The overwhelming theme in that meeting was a request for transparency. The need for transparency must be met and can be met through regular, detailed updates on matters related to special education. 

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of Westport’s children, and thank you for your consideration of these requests. 

Best regards,