Sunshine
Parents
January 8, 2020
Dear Bricolage Academy Principal Antigua Wilbern, Interim CEO Carolyn Louden, and Board President Yvette Jones,
Bricolage Academy is neglecting their responsibility to educate their students with special needs. These children have a
variety of needs and are enrolled at every level of schooling at Bricolage, now accounting for 20% of the population.
Therefore, it is upsetting that Bricolage Academy is ignoring parents who are demanding greater accountability, more parent
engagement, and better transparency to understand the services being provided at the school.
We want to be partners in assuring that Bricolage Academy not only provides a free and appropriate education to all
students, as is required by law, but is true to its mission, which is to be an innovative leader in the city in serving all students
in an inclusive setting.
Furthermore, we believe the absence of specialized training, large class sizes, and a lack of resources are why the school has
recently been placed on the Louisiana Department of Education’s “Urgent Intervention Needed” list with respect to its
special education program. It is troubling that the majority of our special education students are receiving “D” or “F” grades.
It is equally concerning that the state reports that out of school suspensions for special education students at Bricolage
occur at nearly twice the rate than non-special education students, accounting for nearly 1 in 3 suspensions. The number of
suspensions would be even higher if “silent suspensions,” i.e. instances when parents are called to come pick up their child
without any documentation, were also reported.
While all of this is happening, the school has aggressively moved to limit parent contact and parental involvement. Parents
have reported the school is restricting their ability to communicate directly with teachers, the administration, and each
other. One parent even reported being yanked out of a classroom after the administration abruptly stopped permitting
parents to observe their children in their classrooms. However, there has been no formal, written change to school policy,
and this “policy” violates Section 1116 Parent and Family Engagement of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which
ensures and encourages, “reasonable access to staff, opportunities to volunteer and participate in their child’s class, and
observation of classroom activities.” When a school administrator denies parents’ lawful right to observe, it suggests that:
(1) the program is clearly not appropriate and the parent will quickly discover this, and
(2) the school is attempting to keep important information from parents.
We believe parental engagement creates a culture of inclusivity and respect at Bricolage. The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) calls for schools to strengthen the parental role and expand the rights of parents to be active
participants when making decisions about their child’s education.
In an effort to play a more active role in the decisions that impact our children’s education, we have formed a group of
concerned parents to shine light on this issue and to create a better learning environment for all students. Collectively, we
are known as the Sunshine Parents. We are looking forward to bold leadership at Bricolage as the school transitions to a
new CEO, initiates the Special Education Council, and continues to adapt to its rapid growth and changing population.
The Sunshine Parents ask Bricolage Academy to comply with the following: Publicly release the findings of the recent NOLA
Public Schools audit on Bricolage’s Special Education program. Permit parental classroom observations as called for in
Section 1116 Parent and Family Engagement of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). And finally, enact a disciplinary
process that is transparent and responsive to each child's exceptionality and need.
We are hoping you will join us to share resources and solutions, and partner with us to provide a positive school experience
for all; especially our special needs children.
Anyone wishing to get more information and support these efforts please email: SunshineParentsNOLA@gmail.com
Regards,
Catherine Allen
Ann Barnes
Luke Baudoin
Elizabeth Beirise-McAuley
Hailey Bowen
Roby Chavez
Cynthia Cox
Debra Dallman
Bill Dalton
Melissa Dalton

Cammie Davis-Wicks
Abigail Doyle
Lauren H Faucheux
Carrie Fisher
Jude Foret
Clifford Gurley
Daniel Haugh
Unisa Igwike
Jane Katner
Kalista Kennedy

Courtney Nalty
Will Nalty
Kimberlee M. Owens
Cheryl Price
Elyse Ptak
Gary Ptak
Chantal Reinlieb
Kevin Reugger
Lora Reugger
Chris Roe

Jon Skjolaas
Julie Skjolaas
Cassie Seiple
Emily Sparks
Rose Sedita
Melissa Tyler
Paulette Vallery
Christie Weidemann