Bridgeport parents ask state again to fix systemic problems with special education

For the third time in eight years, a group of Bridgeport parents who are frustrated that their children with disabilities are not getting the support they need in school have filed a complaint against Connecticut’s second-largest school district.

Following an investigation into complaints filed in 2013 and 2015, the Connecticut State Department of Education agreed that the district “systemically violated” state laws that were created to ensure students with special education needs are promptly identified and provided services.

“… there have been some good decisions — but overall there’s not a lot of enforcement or monitoring,” said Kathryn Scheinberg Meyer, an attorney with the Center for Children’s Advocacy who filed the previous complaints and the one filed last Thursday with Connecticut Legal Services. “It’s never done in a way that is impactful …”

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