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Many children in Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) are about to begin a terrible journey. More than 7,700 children in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program in Collier County are facing a most difficult challenge — losing the support of their ESE specialists. CCPS has created a horrifying environment for our kids — reduced or eliminated support and very few resources.

You might easily look past this article as the view of another complaining parent who is disenchanted with the school system, the superintendent or the School Board. Let me assure you that this is not one of those letters. This is about our children.

These kids and their families are breaking apart as we speak — and they need your help.

I have been contacted by so many parents who have committed to making this better — parents who want to be a part of a solution rather than a nagging problem. We need to stand together as a community and ask the superintendent to change his mind and keep these vital positions.

As I mentioned in a previous, coauthored guest commentary, the superintendent decided to cut $3 million from the budget. Among the positions to be cut are half of the 34 ESE specialists currently employed by the district. These are some of the most important advocates that our ESE kids have!

We cannot let this support go away. Not today, not ever. Many of our kids will simply disappear into the chaos and confusion that terrifies many of our special children. The ESE specialist is there to help all ESE kids, from those with severe handicaps to our gifted children.

The response from my first commentary was overwhelming — and terribly sad. Parents said that they have given up the fight. Many have been fighting for more than five years, to no avail. Parents are quitting, giving in to a system that is totally disconnected from its students and families.

I refuse to let you all quit. We know what our kids need, and it's time to take back control and demand that our CCPS take responsibility for creating a better environment for our kids. CCPS was well on its way to being a potential model for Florida and our country as a whole. Our school district is far from perfect, but we're not asking for perfection. Just give our children a chance to succeed.

We will work with you, CCPS. We will get down in the trenches and we will help you dig out of this situation. Please do not give up on our kids. My biggest fear is that families new to our school system who enroll an ESE child next year won't have any support, and they won't even have a fair fight. There are no second chances here; we must correct the ESE issue now.

It's never too late to do the right thing. Our community deserves better and, more important, our kids deserve better.