Los Angeles students with disabilities were let down during the pandemic: Parents, advocates, and attorneys discuss what LAUSD should do to support them now.

When the pandemic struck, 10-year-old Luis, who has autism, rapidly began to regress.

Luis’s mother shared that the young boy ceased socializing after his fourth-grade class at his Los Angeles Unified school in Southeast L.A. closed down. She requested anonymity to safeguard her son’s identity.

Subsequently, he exhibited behavioral challenges and significantly lagged in academic progress, all attributed to the lack of his required behavior, speech, and occupational therapies, along with the absence of his individual aide sessions over Zoom.

Re-entering school now, Luis requires two years’ worth of missed services to bridge the gap, as stated by his mother.

“He requires these services urgently,” emphasized Luis’s mother. “I’m left with no other alternatives.”

There is hope that Luis will promptly receive the essential services he necessitates.

LAUSD has committed to delivering these services to Luis and over 66,000 district students with disabilities following a May resolution with the federal Office of Civil Rights citing the omission of federally-mandated services during the pandemic.

This comprehensive nine-page agreement mandates the district to devise a scheme offering students compensatory services, staff training, and continuous communication with parents regarding the plan’s progression.

Expressing apprehension regarding the implementation of services by the district’s Special Education Division, disability rights lawyers, advocates, and parents propose enhancing mental health services, augmenting special education teachers and staff, enriching staff training, improving transportation to services, and increasing the special education budget.

“I’m apprehensive that the resolution could serve as mere compliance without rectifying underlying issues,” voiced Jill Rowland, Education Program Director at the Alliance for Children’s Rights, an advocate for foster care youth in California schools.

“We require transportation assistance to connect children with providers at external centers,” she stressed. “We need language translation services for non-English-speaking students and families. Additionally, there’s an existing dearth of staff, particularly for students with disabilities.”

Additionally, the agreement mandates L.A. Unified to provide ‘compensatory services’ to students with disabilities, signifying the acknowledgment that some students were denied a free and appropriate public education during the pandemic.

L.A. special education attorney Chris Eisenberg affirms that the resolution furnishes another instrument for lawyers, advocates, and parents to enforce LAUSD’s accountability in offering services to students.

“I anticipate that this acknowledgement from LAUSD will steer them towards a more positive trajectory,” noted Eisenberg. “Under scrutiny, they must now uphold their obligations toward the students.”

The shortage of special education teachers within LAUSD is particularly severe. The number of students with disabilities in California has surged since 2015, exacerbating the special education teacher deficit annually. As of 2021, students with disabilities constitute 13% of the district’s population.

Furthermore, special education services represent one of the district’s most significant expenses. In 2016, educating students with disabilities cost over $8,000 more per student than their general education counterparts.

“The district has consistently been wary of overspending on special education,” remarked Valerie Vanaman, a special education attorney critical of the district’s handling of these students during the pandemic.

Advocates and parents advocate for a reallocation of funds toward special education services from the surplus received by the district for pandemic relief.

Luis’ mother, who expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of services provided to her son, seeks aides, therapists, teachers, and tutors who comprehend her son’s specific challenges.

“He deserves superior services and a superior quality of life compared to what they’re offering,” asserted the mother. “I’ve lost faith in their capability.”

Lisa Barros Mosko, a parent who previously led Speak Up, an L.A. special education advocacy group, noted an ongoing service deficiency for years highlighted further by the pandemic.

“The pandemic starkly exposed the disparities and inadequate services for children with disabilities within the district.”

Additionally, advocates and parents express reservations regarding the oversight of the district’s resolution implementation by L.A. Unified officials. They fear that the same leadership that neglected their children’s needs during the pandemic will remain in charge.

“How can we have faith in the same individuals who ignored our children’s necessities initially?” questioned Mosko. “I believe a complete leadership overhaul is imperative to rebuild trust.”

Responding to the concerns, a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson stated that the district has agreed to crucial components such as staff training and continuous engagement with special education parents and advocates.

“L.A. Unified remains committed to aiding all students, including those with disabilities, in recovering from the pandemic and attaining their educational objectives,” affirmed the spokesperson.