School Board Candidates Q&A

In advance of the November 2, 2021 School Board Election in the Iowa City Community School District, we asked the candidates to answer a few questions about special issues of special education, mental health, and disability issues in the district:

1. Can you share what you know about IDEA? Where would you go to learn more?

2. What are the most important issues facing ICCSD in terms of students with disabilities? Is Disability an equity issue? Please explain.

3. According to reporting in the Press-Citizen,* on average, since 2015, “Students in the special education program have made up about 9% of district enrollment and 41% of students suspended.” The ICCSD administration has stated that this does not rise to the level of “significant” disproportionality. Please share your perspective and what you feel the Board’s role should be in addressing this issue?

4. The ICCSD struggles to recruit and retain Special Education paraeducators.As a result, students who are legally required (as written in their IEPs) to have a paraeducator supporting them do not always have access to a paraeducator. How can we make sure that these critical employees are adequately supported and paid?

*Iowa City school leaders weigh concern about racial bias in discipline (press-citizen.com)

Here are the responses we've received so far:

• JP Claussen

• Jayne Finch

• Krista Burruss

• Maka Pilcher Hayek

• Ruthina Malone