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Las Cruces Public Schools applauds new special education ombudsman

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“The new Ombud department gives the parents of special education students a new avenue to find state and local resources to help them with any issues they may have,” said Las Cruces Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of Special Education Services Michael Montoya. 

The New Mexico Developmental Disabilities Council (NMDDC) launched the Office of the Special Education Ombud (OSEO) Dec. 1 to provide “personalized assistance to students and families navigating the special education system in New Mexico public schools,” NMDDC said in a news release.

“The New Mexico Public Education Department already has avenues to help parents; this department, however, is another venue they may use if not satisfied with the current processes,” said Montoya, who was a special education teacher for LCPS for nine years and a middle school principal and a high school principal (he was the first ever principal at Centennial High School) before becoming a district administrator.

The office was authorized by an act passed by the New Mexico Legislature during the 2021 regular legislative session.

 In June, Michelle Tregembo was named as New Mexico’s first special education state ombud. Since joining the Council in August, the state ombud has worked diligently with advocates, families and state agencies to stand up the ombud program.

“From the outset, this administration has made fixing the special education system in New Mexico a top priority,” Tregembo said. “With the launch of this ombud program, families now have a staunch advocate working within the system to help their students access the educational supports they need to thrive.”

OSEO will assist New Mexicans across the state who need help accessing special education services in public schools. To ensure the ombud program can meet the needs of the entire state, the OSEO is developing a special education ombud training and certification process to build and expand ombud services in every school district, NMDDC said.

The ombud will offer a broad range of services to students and families, including answering questions about the special education process, providing support and resources to parents seeking special education services from schools and attending individualized education program meetings. OSEO will also problem solve systemic special education issues and report annually on special education data collected throughout the year, NMDDC said.

Call OSEO at 505-841-4565.

Visit www.nmddpc.com/office-of-special-education-ombud.


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