Our personal experiences have led us to this dire point. Our children, who are entitled to receive equal education despite their disabilities, have been repeatedly violated by the seemingly negligent operation of Prince George's County Public Schools' Special Education and the public school system overall. This isn't just about our family - many others have voiced similar concerns, painting a heartbreaking picture of systematic failure.

According to Code Education Article, Sec. 2-205, the Maryland Department of Education "may intervene to help restructure their administration, organization, or instruction" (Maryland State Archives, 2024). This clause applies in the current situation as our local school district has shown insufficient efforts to cater to the educational needs of disabled students.

For a clear perspective, an article in the Baltimore Sun (2024) sheds light on an alarming statistic: Prince George's County sees double the rate of school dropouts compared to the state average. This itself should be a red flag for the officials and is evidence of the pressing need for intervention. According to the state of Maryland's State Performance Report indicators, in SY 2021, Prince George's County Public Schools had 16.99% of the special education students drop out. The state of Maryland is failing to hold the school system to account. Maryland is the top 9th state in the country for the highest amount of state special education and due process complaints and decides in favor of the county school systems 85% or more of the time. This alarming trend shows that families cannot depend on Prince George's County Public Schools or the State Department of Education to provide justice through state complaints or due process as administrative remedies.

We urge Maryland's Department of Education to recognize this crisis in Prince George's County Public Schools Special Education. By taking over special education and restructuring the county's administration, they can ensure that the educational rights of all disabled students are respected and meaningful changes are made to improve their learning experience. Please show your support and sign this petition for the sake of these young learners and our children’s future.