Wed, 28 Nov 2007
RE: Standing in Defense of Special Needs Children
Dear Friends,
The recent discovery that a padded closet was being used for children with Autism in the Cherry Hill School system was absolutely shocking and broke all of our hearts. That such an atrocity was set in place is no accident, but instead is the inevitable result of the continuing degradation of Special Education by our School Administration and Superintendent, David Campbell.
Before the election last year, the Campbell Administration promised there would be no cuts to special education, yet within a month they had fired more than two dozen special education aides. Since that time they have devastated home instruction services for the most needy children by denying these services on days when children have off from school (the entire purpose of the program was to give disabled children extra help when they were out of school). In addition, the Campbell Administration has been violating state law by going farther and denying home instruction services to children even when school was in session. The State is investigating this and we expect to be victorious in our complaint against the Superintendent and his Director of Special Education, Isreala Franklin.
At the Board of Education meeting on November 27th, it was revealed by a parent that one Cherry Hill school has not had therapists for special needs children for the entire year so far. This was confirmed by Isreala Franklin. This is an absolute outrage and inexcusable; I have spoken before the Board of Education a dozen times over the past year warning them about under-staffing, and even with a full year's warning, Franklin did nothing to rectify this situation.
Whether it was sheer incompetence or deliberate neglect, Franklin has betrayed an entire school of special needs children by not providing the proper staffing. Make no mistake that the children who desperately needed this care have been harmed and will continue to suffer because of Campbell's and Franklin's massive reduction of resources for special needs children.
How many times are our children going to be treated like second class citizens by the Campbell Administration? How many more times are we going to be lied to and betrayed? And how many more nightmares are yet to be uncovered and revealed? Enough is enough: For far too long Special Needs children in Cherry Hill have been bled by budget cuts, loss of staff and lack of therapists. These children cannot stand further loss, and the only way to protect them is to stand up and take action in their defense.
It is for all these reasons, including the despicable padded closet, that we are calling for the termination of employment of Director of Special Education Isreala Franklin, for she has absolutely failed to protect and help the children under her care.
I strongly encourage all of you to contact the Cherry Hill Board of Education and demand that immediate action be taken to not only remove Franklin, but to create a new oversight committee for Special Education, so that the grievous offenses committed against the most vulnerable of our children may finally be dealt with and corrected.
Sincerely,
Stuart Chaifetz
President, Special Education Alliance
SEA@hnva.net