Although it has yet to hear the final word from the Mississippi Department of Education, it appears the Columbus Municipal School District is well on its way to resolving the troubling issues that emerged in the district’s special education program (SPED).
At a special board meeting Monday, the school district’s SPED director, Cheryl Smith, told board members and parents that the district has been declared compliant in three formal complaints filed against the district last year. All that remains is the MDE’s confirmation that the district is compliant in providing all SPED students in the district the services to which they are entitled.
Smith, who took over as the SPED director in January, told the audience the district has been working “tirelessly and prayerfully” on the issues since she took over.
“The drastic change from last year, has been a constant flow of communication from the department and parents, Smith said. “We listen to parents. When they call our office, we call back. We treat people like we want to be treated. We treat children like we want people to treat our children.”
Perhaps the best endorsements of the district’s efforts came from one of the district’s most outspoken critics.
Terri Doumit, a parent of a Columbus High School SPED student, was the only parent to come before the board Monday night. Over the past year, Doumit voiced her concerns during numerous special call meetings, but delivered a far different message Monday.
“The reason I’m standing here is not to complain, to let you know that there have been successes,” Doumit said. “One thing that has changed, just from my perspective is the relationship with the teachers. I think what has made a difference is it’s a lot easier to talk to Dr. Smith than it was with the previous administration. It was very hard, very combative all the time and it was very hard to get any results for the children.”
We applaud the sincere efforts of administrators, teachers and parents in working together to address this problem and hope that the spirit of open communication and cooperation becomes a hallmark for the district as its provides services for its most vulnerable children.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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