Twelve parents and community members joined 11 FCPS employees in the task force, which met six times in May and June.

The group compiled 13 recommendations to school boards from those meetings and will be presented Wednesday by task force co-chair and FCPS Director of Student Services Dana Falls.

Troy Keller, one of the district’s two special education directors, joins Falls for the presentation.

Broadly speaking, the recommendations are aimed at filling gaps in FCPS’s current special education delivery, addressing burnout, enhancing training of special educators, providing better support to confused parents, and more. purpose.

“What we want is an honest discussion about what’s going on, what we’ve done to fix it, and what we can do to make sure we don’t end up in that situation again. Yes,” Young said on Friday.

In a video accompanying the school board’s Wednesday agenda, task force members talked about why they applied and what they thought of the group’s work.

In the video, Angelic Vigliotti, whose son was held in segregation and detention at Lewistown Elementary School’s Pyramid Program, said in a video to “raise a voice” for children and parents who felt they were not represented in the FCPS special education program. said that he had applied for

“Sometimes it’s really hard, because I meet people I trust who have helped foster the abuse of my children,” Vigliotti said in the video. “And sometimes I cry after meetings. But I’m here to advocate for those who can’t be here.”

Another member, Carla Phillips, appreciated the task force’s diverse perspectives and said she felt its leaders approached the role with a sense of neutrality.

“There are definitely cultural and systemic issues here at FCPS. I don’t think it’s a secret,” said Phillips, a parent and advocate who worked at FCPS as a Partners for Success Program Coordinator. says Mr.

In that role, she was the liaison between the school district and parents, looking to connect families with resources and help them understand the myriad laws governing special education.

“We remain cautiously optimistic that these recommendations will be taken seriously and that FCPS and county officials will act quickly to effect significant change,” Phillips said in the video. Vulnerable students depend on it and now is the time to make sure this happens.”