The report from the office of Democrat Diana DiZoglio cites a “breakdown” in communication between DESE and the state Department of Children and Families, saying the education department accepted incomplete materials and failed to request missing information to determine whether licensed educator disciplinary actions or licensing investigations were warranted.
“That puts these young, vulnerable populations in jeopardy with respect to safety, and that means that instances of abuse or neglect could go unaddressed," DiZoglio told WAMC. "So we did call on DESE to step it up and to make sure that they were actually communicating with Department of Children and Families with respect to these 51a reports moving forward. They did, to their credit, recognize the issue and admit to having a breakdown there and say that they were going to be resolving this as soon as possible.”
The audit also says DESE violated a memorandum of understanding with the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, in part, by not issuing required annual communication to school leaders on creating safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ students.
“As we know, there has been a war across our nation regarding the LGBTQ community, and we need to make sure that in Massachusetts we're doing everything we can to protect these vulnerable kids in our communities,” said DiZoglio.
The report also finds DESE did not oversee the use of special education settlement agreements, including the use of non-disclosure clauses by school districts, and that the department did not ensure charter school trustees sign conflict of interest material acknowledgement forms and submit required financial disclosure forms.
“We want to make sure that there is accountability and transparency with respect to folks who might have a vested financial interest and stake in some of these charter schools. So we did call on DESE to provide increased oversight there, and raised our concerns in that area”
While Dizoglio says DESE has not fully resolved the issues identified in the audit, a department spokesperson told WAMC Tuesday that it has addressed them and is “committed to making schools safe and welcoming spaces for all students” as well as making sure to “continue to look for ways to improve.”
