We have received notice that the State of Pennsylvania is planning to send a team of 13 special education monitors into Chester-Upland schools on Monday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 12, 2012. The State has said it plans to interview parents, staff and administrators. If you are a parent and have questions about the on-site monitoring process, please contact us by calling 267-547-1319 or emailing skerr@pubintlaw.org.

Because it is important that the state be able to understate the depth of the problems due to the lack of funding in the district, we urge parents contacted by the state to be forthright about problems they have had in obtaining services this year.

Further, the Law Center is concerned that this monitoring may be a form of retaliation against teachers who testified about their inability to provide students with a free appropriate education given funding shortages — teachers the state’s attorney suggested should be disciplined. Because the Law Center, which represents Chester-Upland parents and students in the lawsuit, was excluded from the monitoring process, we have requested that detailed records be provided to us of all activities in order to ensure the monitoring will allow a fair and accurate assessment to be made.

Click here to read the letter we sent to the State’s lawyers late today detailing our view of the monitoring visit.