Last night in Queens, parents packed into an overfull auditorium to have the chance to address Garth Harries, who has been charged with reviewing DOE's provision of special education services citywide -- despite his acknowledged lack of training as an educator or special educator. Harries, who appeared with DOE's Marcia Lyles and District 75 superintendent Bonnie Brown, addressed the group, seeking to "quell rumors" that he would dismantle or substantially reorganize services for children with special needs. His work, Bonnie explained, was on a "macro level" -- and Harries is expected to lean heavily on DOE veterans Brown and Linda Wernikoff for specific program information.

Parents and school leaders consistently stated strong concerns about Harries' oversight of special education programs. Many expressed deep satisfaction with the services their children now receive; one pleaded, "please don't take this away from us," and a principal rallied the crowd with a challenge to Harries' qualifications: "Would you go to a general practitioner to perform open-heart surgery?" Another parent, holding a portrait of her child, implored, "You need to take off your suit and tie and come to our school," to get to know the kids and the teachers that work so hard to serve them. "Keep this photo on your desk," she said, "and make decisions with your heart, not your pocketbook."

Repeatedly, parents expressed their concerns that the services their children receive will be taken away. They expressed their real frustration with Harries' steep learning curve: "I have a million things to tell you, because you know nothing." For the most part, Harries and his colleagues listened respectfully, responding little. When one parent, responding to Harries' statement that he did not intend to dismantle programs, asked "can you assure us that the services we have won't change?" the DOE representatives chose not to comment.