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By Samantha Steiner

Somerville Public Schools (SPS) is failing to meet federal special education mandates – and its own stated values. In March, the School Committee unanimously passed a resolution in support of students with disabilities, pledging to “lead by example” and “ensure access to supports and services.” SPS even joined a federal lawsuit to protect the U.S. Department of Education, the agency tasked with enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

But at a recent Finance Committee meeting, teachers and parents gave raw, urgent testimony that should disturb anyone who cares about equity in public education. As one teacher put it, “Families should be appalled at the level of special education their children are getting.”

IDEA requires school districts to identify students with disabilities and develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each eligible student. The IEP outlines a student’s needs and goals and the services and supports required to ensure access to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

In practice, however, families are forced to fight for these services. The power imbalance between schools and families leaves parents struggling to navigate the system – often unaware of what supports exist, how to request them, or how and if services are being provided.

As a parent and SPS employee testified, “In January we were at a [meeting] for my sixth grader. I was told that one of his direct services … had not been happening since September because the district was unable to hire a special educator. As a parent, I was outraged. As an employee of Somerville Public Schools, I was embarrassed.”

Staffing shortages, limited resources, and insufficient training are constraining effective service delivery. The district is quietly dropping needed services because there simply aren’t enough staff to provide them. Overworked teachers are expected to fill multiple roles, cover impossible caseloads, and do the job of two people – with no additional support or compensation.

The strain is immense. “I have to choose between supporting my students with IEPs or the rest of the class,” said one educator. “Someone is always without the teacher support they need to thrive.”

Another teacher described a colleague who has both math and special education certifications and is expected to teach her inclusion class alone – even though the class is supposed to have two full-time teachers. “It’s cheating some of our most vulnerable students,” the teacher said. “It’s taking advantage of some of our most experienced educators.”

An East Somerville Community School educator described the personal cost: “I’m here because I would do anything for my students, and I have. I buy coats and hats and gloves for students who need them. I provide support for students dealing with traumas when our social work team is inundated … which happens daily … I provide students with classroom essentials, tissues, pencils and paper, Lysol wipes. All of this out of my own pocket – by the way, a pocket that will be emptier next year as I’ve seen more of my paycheck going to health insurance. I spend countless hours before and after school, working to support the diverse needs of the 43 students that I have on my caseload, without the incredibly important and legally required services that they need.”

As these testimonies make clear, failing to staff special education properly doesn’t just harm students with disabilities – it impacts everyone. And these impacts aren’t felt equally.

A Winter Hill teacher contrasted Kennedy School, a top-performing school by state measures, with Winter Hill Community School: “These two schools are only a mile apart … but they look like two different Somervilles.” This stark disparity undermines the district’s promise of “equitable access to opportunity.”

SPS’s strategic plan envisions a school system where every student thrives with equitable access. It pledges to empower students, ensure equity, prioritize wellbeing, and foster respect and collaboration.

So what does it mean to defend equitable public education in court while failing to deliver on those promises in our own classrooms? What does it mean to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week while refusing to fund the staffing and salaries needed to retain those teachers?

It means that we are making public commitments we’re not willing to pay for. It means we want credit for valuing equity, inclusion, and excellence – without taking responsibility for following through.

Our educators show up for our children every single day. They showed up at that meeting and told us what they need: more staff, more support, better pay, and safe, sustainable working conditions.

Now it’s time for us to show up for them. We must demand that our elected officials fully fund our schools, uphold their legal and moral obligations to all students, and give our teachers the resources they need to provide the education our children deserve. The future of our schools – and our city – depends on it.