On the evening of September 11, the Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SSEPAC) publicly presented for the first time its 25-page report to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) before the Somerville City Council. The presentation was introduced by City Councilor At Large Kristen Strezo, who underscored her concern that the voices of special education families are too often excluded from critical decision-making processes across city government.

SSEPAC Chair Liz Eldridge addressed the Council, outlining the report’s findings and warning of systemic failures affecting one-fifth of Somerville’s student population.

“Our report is based on district data, public records, and extensive testimony from both parents and teachers,” Eldridge said. “It compiles multiple sources into one accessible document to ensure transparency and accountability. The gap between the district’s stated vision and the lived reality for students with disabilities is enormous. In practice, services are delayed or denied, evaluations are overdue, and IEPs are sometimes written based on staffing shortages rather than student needs. This is illegal.”

Key findings highlighted by Eldridge include:

• Urgent accountability concerns: In May, DESE designated Somerville Special Education as “Needs Assistance,” citing non-compliance issues and low MCAS performance.
• Student outcomes far below peers: In 2024, only 12% of students with disabilities in grades 3–8 were proficient in English Language Arts (vs. 46% of peers), and only 10% in math (vs. 39%).
• Structural barriers: Understaffing, insufficient training, inconsistent planning, weak implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and budget priorities that fail to meet legal requirements.
• Systemic inequities: Educators forced to triage services, and parents left to fight for rights guaranteed under federal and state law.

Eldridge stressed that meaningful corrective action requires more than compliance “on paper.”

“Every child in Somerville has the right to a free and appropriate public education under IDEA and Massachusetts regulations. Corrective action must mean full

implementation of IEPs (individualized education plans for students with disabilities), staffing classrooms appropriately, ensuring timely evaluations, and equipping all educators with the training and resources to succeed,” she said. “Families must be engaged as state law requires. Our students cannot wait any longer.”

The report, available at www.tinyurl.com/SSEPACreport, has already shaped the citywide conversation. It was cited multiple times during the Mayoral Forum on Libraries and Schools on September 5th at East Somerville Community School, and has been formally shared with DESE, the Somerville School Committee, all current elected officials and candidates, Senator Pat Jehlen, State Representatives Erika Uyterhoeven and Christine Barber, and the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs.

Councilor Strezo concluded:

“It is a critically important report. It’s not just a report. It is a data assessment and accountability plan that has been submitted to DESE, that, frankly, our city should be using as a roadmap for what we should be doing.”

“The Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council is an incredible organization, and they are here to work with us. And I am asking my colleagues to take a serious look at this report, because it’s not only critically important for the future of our city’s buildings but for the future of all of our students.”

About Somerville SEPAC

The Somerville Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SSEPAC) is a volunteer-led, state-mandated advisory body advocating for the rights and educational outcomes of students with disabilities. SSEPAC works to ensure accountability, transparency, and collaboration between families, educators, and the district. Visit SSEPAC’s website at https://somervillesepac.wixsite.com/sepac or follow them on Facebook at Somerville SEPAC – Special Education Parent Advisory Council and on Instagram at @SomervilleSEPAC.