After some parents complained about poor communication and lagging student services, the Inglewood Unified School District has hired Kristopher Vegas as its new executive director of special education.
Vegas brings nearly 25 years of experience and a Ph.D. in educational psychology to the role, and he told The LA Local he’ll focus on improving services for students with disabilities and their families.
Before joining Inglewood Unified, he served as director of special education for six years in the Manhattan Beach Unified School District.
“I’ve never wavered in my belief of working in special education at public schools,” Vegas said. “As an executive director, I’m not working directly with students, but I am helping to support the people who are helping support students.”
Vegas’ arrival comes as Inglewood works to make changes in a department that has faced criticism from some parents over communication and responsiveness. For families of students receiving special education services, access to timely information and consistent communication can be as important as the services they receive.
At an emotional town hall in January, parents described some of their frustrations with the district. Some said it took months or even years to get updates on their children’s progress within the special education department and others described a lack of services that their children were entitled to. One mother said her 6-year-old was allowed to wander out of class and into the street, as she struggled to get him assessed for special education.
This year’s change in leadership signals an effort by the district to take a different approach to special education and attempt to rebuild relationships with parents.
“This is a different level of education, and these children and families are going to need more support,” said Marcie Brown, vice president of the Inglewood Parent Teacher Association Council. “The new special education executive director should be aware of that and show up.”
In April, Inglewood county administrator James Morris confirmed that the district was recruiting for the special education executive director position. The new hire would replace Latonya Southall, who had held the position since 2024.
Morris told The LA Local that Vegas will be responsible for overseeing the district’s special education programs, clearly communicating with parents, being accessible and addressing concerns as quickly as possible.
“He has an excellent track record from Manhattan Beach and its complex special education programs,” Morris said. “He has a mindset of solving problems.”
One of the problems facing the department is maintaining compliance with the IEP or Individualized Education Plan, a document or file created with input from parents, teachers and specialists as a roadmap of what services a student qualifies for and what the student needs to achieve academically. They’re also used to track student progress.
Noncompliance can mean a student isn’t getting the support they need and are legally entitled to, and can lead to costly litigation between parents and a school district.
John Hughes, a special education program specialist and Inglewood Teachers Association president, said he believes Vegas has the cultural sensitivity, people skills and experience to address the critical issues within the department.
“He will be able to assist us with assessments and the corrective process of noncompliant IEPs,” Hughes said. “I think he’s very strong in that.”
Hughes added that even with the issues the special education department still faces, he believes Vegas can be successful if he receives support and resources from the district.
As for Vegas, he told The LA Local that he’s ready for any challenges and looking forward to the new school year.
“I’m confident that our staff shows up everyday so that students can make progress,” Vegas said. “That’s what we’re all looking forward to: progress.”
