By the spring of 2023, a sense of mixed anticipation and relief washed over me during a legal team meeting. We were on the cusp of a settlement, signaling the end of endless meetings, intense discussions, and relentless negotiations. As the warmth of late Spring approached, a settlement was finally achieved.
However, the workload didn’t decrease; it simply shifted from settlement talks to formulating a five-year improvement plan under the watchful eye of an independent monitor. This phase is critical. It isn’t just about setting objectives and activities; it delves deeper into addressing disproportionality, enhancing the cultural proficiency of instructors, and critically examining and altering the systems that yield disparate outcomes to ensure that students with disabilities—especially Black students with disabilities—have the support they need to grow and thrive.
The next five years promises to be a brighter future for our students in the district. The district has even started implementing some of our requests made prior to the settlement, fueling a renewed sense of hope for what lies ahead.
