When the Hartford Board of Education holds its monthly Regular Meetings, complaints across a wide variety of issues are brought to their attention.  None are sadder than the complaints in regard to the most vulnerable children in our schools, in fact, in society, the special education children.

Often lost in the push for racial equity, is the push for educational equity for special education students, despite their causes often overlapping.  So, when complaints about these exceptional learners not receiving the services they require and which the law requires they receive, find our ears, we must listen with purpose and intent, not for rhetoric and appeasement.

As a social worker turned Superintendent, one would think that Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez has a special ear and eye for these issues and would be able to proactively stem the tide of special education abuse, neglect, and disservice often found in Hartford Public Schools.  This is not the case.

Unable to effectively follow their passion of working with special education students, and frustrated with their inability to provide required services to these students, special education teachers in Hartford Public Schools held a series of meetings with Union leadership to vent their complaints and concerns.

Union President Carol Gale appeared at the Board’s February 21st Regular Meeting to present the results of those meetings, the “collective” voice of HPS’ special education teachers, to the Superintendent and the Board.

Many issues and concerns facing the special education teacher are the same issues and concerns voiced by teachers across the educational divide: teacher shortages and its affects, salary issues, and the lack of respect and trust.

Pres. Gale listed many issues specific to the special education teacher in Hartford Schools:

• Special education teachers are being pulled from servicing their students to supervise SAT prep classes, or to teach a Capstone class.

• Professional development is not geared to the special education teacher.

• Special education students are being robbed of service time by teacher shortages and increased teacher caseloads.

• Claims are being made that the administration does not understand and appreciate the role of the special education teacher.

• The administration does not understand the difference between “co-teaching” and the “push model.”

• There is a lack of transparency in the hiring process.

• Special education directors are competing for applicants.

• There has been insufficient training and assistance with the new CT SEDS data reporting system.

• Teachers are not being involved in decisions regarding the placement of special education students in the mainstream classroom.

Taken individually, the last item in the list is a violation of federal law.  Taken cumulatively, these concerns are a violation of codified and moral law as they prevent the adequate delivery of special instruction and related services to children with special needs and disabilities in Hartford Public Schools.

The concerns of Hartford’s special education teachers, if left unattended, lead to special education service complaints by parents and guardians with state officials, and Hartford is no stranger to this step.

In the three years leading up to April 2022, there were at least 110 special education complaints lodged against HPS.  However, the number of unreported incidents is probably much larger, as parents and guardians are unwilling to file a complaint with the school out of fear of retaliation upon the student.  Which was the case in Guilford last year.

In March of 2022, fearing the potential of district retaliation, 10 parents and grandparents joined their special education complaints and filed them with the Guilford Human Rights Commission.  Human Rights Commissioner Alexander Hoffman said that the issues in the complaints are “…the kinds of complaints that experienced educators are well acquainted with…”  Left unsaid by Pres. Gale, but heard through the murmurings of educators in Hartford, is that the concerns expressed by Gale are just the tip of a much larger iceberg.

In April 2022, the state’s Office of the Child Advocate said in a letter to Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez that between September of 2020 and February 2022, the OCA received multiple complaints about the educational programming being provided to a special education students. 

OCA also “learned” that the district was not providing parental counseling and training to the family as was indicated during PPTs over 2 years.   OCA said that they were concerned with possible policy and practice issues in the district, including inadequate supports and services.  OCA stated that through interviews with an HPS staff member, the Department of Children and Families had also issued concerns about special education issues in the Hartford school district.

OCA and Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez have a long history outside of the special education arena.  In 2016, following allegations of suspected child abuse and neglect in Hartford Public Schools, a 9-month investigation by the State’s Child Advocate revealed “a decade-long failure to protect children” while in  Hartford schools.  The report noted that there was possible HPS “executive/s” knowledge of prior reported concerns and inappropriate conduct with a child in HPS, but failed to make mandated reports of those suspicions, and the leadership of HPS was not holding accountable those individuals engaged in the misconduct.

Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez said of the investigation and report, “I want every relative of every schoolchild in Hartford to know that I will not rest until this system is fixed.”  Ask those 110 complainants in the last 3 years if they feel the system is fixed.

It is clear, that after 7 years at the helm of Hartford Public Schools, that the Superintendent has not been able to provide an adequate academic system of support and service to ensure educational and instructional equity across all subject matter and for all students.

Parents and guardians of Hartford’s special education students, in fact, all students, must be assured that they are well within their rights to seek justice for their children without fear of reprisal on the part of the school district.  Out of fear or for lack of satisfaction from the district, please contact the Connecticut Bureau of Special Education.