The School Committee approved the hiring of the interim Director of Student Services, who will oversee the special education program in the Watertown Public Schools, and also created a subcommittee focused on Student Services that will look at the district’s special education program.
The moves made at the July 27 meeting, came in the wake of a push by parents of students in the special education program to make changes to the program and remove the Director of Student Services for not providing the services needed by students and creating an environment of fear and distrust.
The discussion around Watertown’s Special Education program has become heated, including an online threat directed toward one of the School Committee members.
Parents Concerns
For the past few School Committee meetings, parents have spoken about their experiences, their concerns about the special education program in Watertown, and what they would like to see change. Many have spoken about not feeling heard, being targeted for asking for services for their children, and not trusting Watertown special education program. They called for a change in leadership.
The parents who spoke at the meeting said they obtained documents that showed that their issues had been taking place for several years and which showed that the concerns had been brought to the attention of School administration and the School Committee years ago.
Through a public records request they obtained documents from September 2019 which include a letter from the Watertown Educators Association (WEA) — the teachers union — to the current Superintendent and the School Committee (some of whom are still members) about the Director of Student Services, Kathy Desmarais, that warned about a fear of retribution for speaking up; shaming sessions at department meetings; prioritizing budget cuts over providing services; not providing proper services to families who don’t speak English as a first language; and personal vendettas against staff, families and administrators.
The documents were submitted to the School Committee to be included in the public record of the meeting.
In late June, Superintendent Dede Galdston announced that Desmarais would be leaving the district at the end of the summer, which is sooner than originally planned. In the announcement thanked Desmarais for her years of service.
On July 27, parents said that they do not see the speeding up of departure of the Director of Student Services as accountability, and it does not erase a decade of institutional harm.
Galdston addressed the parents’ concerns after the July 27 Public Forum.
“I know that harm has been done. It is my job to work forward. I think that we will be doing that, but I just want to make sure that people know that I did listen and hear, and I have heard, and I think that we are moving forward,” Galdsotn said “I know that it’s going to take a long time to repair the harm, and I’m sorry for that — I am truly — but moving forward, I think we have a good direction.”
Galdston continued, “I’m very excited about this evening to provide you with information about the interim (Director of Student Services). So, I know it’s going to take a long time to rebuild the trust, but I just do want to acknowledge that … and like I said before, I’m truly sorry for what you’ve been through, and we have a lot of work to do to rebuild that trust.”
During the public forum, parents requested that they have a chance to speak about their experiences and said they thought they should not be limited to the three minute comment period, as they are at School Committee meetings.
During the meeting School Committee member Lisa Capoccia asked to add an item to the Aug. 17 School Committee meeting to consider scheduling a public hearing where families can speak about “their experiences in relation to special ed. and/or Student Services,” with the School Committee. The proposal is to have a three-hour listening only format. The School Committee voted to place the proposal on the agenda for the next School Committee meeting when the Committee would decide whether to hold the meeting.
Social Media Threat
School Committee Chair Kendra Foley informed the School Committee and the meeting audience about a threat directed toward her on social media. About 10 days earlier, Foley said, she received a call from the Watertown Police.
“They were checking in because someone had posted a threat to me on the Watertown Special Education Alliance Facebook page,” Foley said. “There are ways to ask good questions about hard topics, engage in uncomfortable conversations. I welcome discourse and differences of opinion, and I’m grateful that people take the time to share their stories and opinions with the School Committee. I really value parents coming to meetings and sharing their experiences and letting us know your concerns. And I know that it’s not easy to do that.”
She added: “Your feedback is really important, and it’s critical to how we move this district forward and improve in the ways that we absolutely need to improve. Social media, however, has really proven time and again that it’s not a good venue for thoughtful and complicated and nuanced conversations. I have made myself available to parents via email, phone, and in person to discuss concerns, and I I will absolutely continue to do that. I want to continue to focus on moving this district forward so that it supports all of our students.”
Special Ed Subcommittee
The School Committee also discussed the creation of ad hoc School Committee Subcommittee on Student Services as part of the effort to rebuild the program and the trust with families.
The proposal was to have the subcommittee be composed of three School Committee
members, with the members and chair of the subcommittee being recommended by the Chair of the School Committee and approved by the full School Committee. The Subcommittee would begin work immediately after members are assigned. The initial proposal was to have the Subcommittee meet at least four times a year and continue work until the summer of 2028.
The memo about the proposed subcommittee said: “At that time, the School Committee can decide the future, if any, of the ad hoc subcommittee. The purpose of the ad hoc subcommittee will be to provide an additional layer of oversight and accountability, information gathering, and progress monitoring related to the Special Education Improvement Strategy.”
School Committee member Rachel Kay said that she would like the Subcommittee to hear from families, and review other items about special education, including the Special Education Parent Advisory Council Survey.
She also wants to have an independent person come in and work with families who have rejected IEPs (individual education plans) who are “in a limbo status.” Kay added that in the first six months the Subcommittee should meet more frequently than just quarterly.
Capoccia said she had considered asking to have a member of the WEA and a parent or caregiver be part of the group, but after speaking with Foley she understood why the group would just be made up of School Committee members.
“(Teachers and parents) are able to come and give input either way, and I would want to try to hold the chair, whoever it is, accountable to making sure that it was open,” Capoccia said.
She said a task force could have been made if the district was looking to create a new program or reform something, but the Subcommittee’s role is monitoring.
“Ultimately it is the district that needs to be doing this work, and I think by creating this subcommittee, that it does oversight based on our experience that we just are still going through, and parents are still experiencing challenges,” Capoccia said. “We need to be accountable, and the people on that subcommittee, as elected people, need to be accountable to making sure that the rest of our School Committee is accountable.”
Capoccia recommended that the Subcommittee provide updates three times a year to the full School Committee.
City Council President Mark Sideris agreed that a subcommittee carries more weight than a task force.
“I think that we have a lot of ways that the subcommittee could work, but I also think it’s more than just a subcommittee and more than just data,” Sideris said. “It’s rebuilding the trust, and also when the Superintendent mentioned that somebody else mentioned we haven’t done the goals. I said this the last time too. I don’t want to see five goals. I want to see this goal (addressing the concerns with the Special Education program).”
He added that the Subcommittee could add more functions than are listed in the memo.
School Committee member Sheila Krishnan said she does not want the Subcommittee to be the only place where families can go to be heard, and said that she liked the idea of having a public hearing and perhaps involving people in the district who have been trained in restorative practices.
The School Committee voted unanimously to create the Subcommittee on Student Services based on the outline in the School Committee agenda packet. Capoccia added an amendment that the subcommittee’s process be reviewed annually, which was approved. She also proposed an amendment that the subcommittee meet at least six times per year, which was approved.
Another amendment proposed by Capoccia was to add to the purpose of the subcommittee to review the general performance of the Student Services Department, which failed by a vote of 4-3.
Interim Director
Galdston introduced Kristen Beaupre, the candidate for interim Director of Student Services to the School Committee.
The search process was conducted by a 14-member committee made up of administrators, teachers, three parents, and a student. The district received 14 applications, six of whom were offered initial interviews but one dropped out, Galdston said. The Committee selected two finalists. Galdston met the finalists and checked their references and she recommended Beaupre.
“She has several years of experience within the student services realm in terms of facilitating teams, working as an out-of-district coordinator, really taking on some of those leadership steps to this point,” Galdston said. “And I think that one thing that I learned a lot about in speaking to people, that she really has a sense of building those strong working relationships with people, not only just with the outside agencies and consultants, but certainly with families navigating complex placements, people who are in dispute.”
Beaupre said she was honored to be considered for the interim role, and said that she has learned that Watertown is a community that cares deeply about its students, and the staff works hard to support them.
“Student Services work is deeply personal to me. It means listening closely to families, really hearing their concerns, and making sure they feel seen and supported. And it means standing alongside staff, making sure that they have the tools, clarity, and support they need to do their best work for kids,” Beaupre said. “My many years working in special education across a range of roles have prepared me well for this work and for this position.”
Beaupre listed three priorities when she begins: “First, rebuilding trust with families, with staff, and across the community through consistency and honest communication. Second, solidifying high expectations in inclusive programming so every student, regardless of need, has access to a strong education. And third, refining our structures and procedures so that systems supporting our students and staff are clear, consistent, and built to last.”
The School Committee unanimously approved the hiring of Beaupre as the interim Director of Student Services.