By Jeff Segal Santa Monica
I am writing in regards to your April 19, front page article (“School officials apologize”) about Santa Monica school district’s superintendent, Dianne Talarico, apologizing for her district’s policy of discriminating against children with disabilities. I am tired of public officials giving us false apologize [sic] and crocodile tears. It is time for Ms. Talarico to pull her head out of the sand, and start acting like a superintendent.
If school district officials were targeting black or Hispanic children for discrimination, the only acceptable response would be to immediately fire those officials. Children with disabilities should be entitled to the same protection. The gross misconduct … has gone on way too long. Ms. Talarico should immediately replace… her senior staff with administrators who are dedicated to provide [sic] children with disabilities … the same high quality public education enjoyed by all the other children in Santa Monica. If Ms. Talarico lacks the courage to act, than the school board should use the summer to find a new superintendent.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 25, 2008. Read the original PDF.