Still Talking About Special Ed
The S.F. Chronicle has an informative point/counterpoint on special education issues on the Op-Ed page today. On one side, two fathers imagine a world without special education. On the other, a special ed administrator blames the lawyers for the problems in the system.
The fathers argue that the real issue is getting the Federal government to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) -- it is supposed to bear 40 percent of the cost of educating students with disabilities, but actually pays only a fraction of its obligation. Fully funding IDEA would go a long way toward getting kids with special educational needs the services they are entitled to under the law.
The administrator's perspective is that public schools are wrongly seen as a limitless source of funds for lavish educational programs forced by lawyers. It's true that most special education parents don't have the wherewithal to sue, so those who do drag districts into court end up with much more than those who can't. This results in unfair disparities - a high-functioning child with autism gets a full-time aide because his parents sued, while another with equal needs does not get the same support. And while the special education system is not supposed to be a zero-sum game (one child gets more, so another gets less), in reality it is often played that way because of budgetary concerns.
Karen Mates, the Marin special education administrator writing in the Chronicle, puts forth a few ideas: getting the law to better define what an "appropriate" education is, capping attorney's fees and limiting the amount taxpayers must pay for private school placements. While I'm personally leery of getting rid of the lawyers anytime soon (given districts' track record of providing appropriate placements and supports without prodding), or letting politicians decide what educational services are appropriate, it's clear that a dialogue needs to continue at the Federal level.
The fathers (Frank Bien and Bill Bivins of the wonderful organization Support for Families of Children with Disabilities) deserve the last word:
The fathers argue that the real issue is getting the Federal government to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) -- it is supposed to bear 40 percent of the cost of educating students with disabilities, but actually pays only a fraction of its obligation. Fully funding IDEA would go a long way toward getting kids with special educational needs the services they are entitled to under the law.
The administrator's perspective is that public schools are wrongly seen as a limitless source of funds for lavish educational programs forced by lawyers. It's true that most special education parents don't have the wherewithal to sue, so those who do drag districts into court end up with much more than those who can't. This results in unfair disparities - a high-functioning child with autism gets a full-time aide because his parents sued, while another with equal needs does not get the same support. And while the special education system is not supposed to be a zero-sum game (one child gets more, so another gets less), in reality it is often played that way because of budgetary concerns.
Karen Mates, the Marin special education administrator writing in the Chronicle, puts forth a few ideas: getting the law to better define what an "appropriate" education is, capping attorney's fees and limiting the amount taxpayers must pay for private school placements. While I'm personally leery of getting rid of the lawyers anytime soon (given districts' track record of providing appropriate placements and supports without prodding), or letting politicians decide what educational services are appropriate, it's clear that a dialogue needs to continue at the Federal level.
The fathers (Frank Bien and Bill Bivins of the wonderful organization Support for Families of Children with Disabilities) deserve the last word:
The answer is not to wring our hands over a few extraordinary cases, but to work to get special education fully funded. If students get the services they need from the public school system, there would be fewer expensive settlements and more money left over for the entire system.The pre-IDEA world was not only cruel, it was costly. Institutionalizing disabled children is many times more costly than having them attend public school -- even with the occasional payout for private services. Beyond the cost, though, the world after IDEA is a richer and more decent place for children of all abilities.
Labels: Special Education
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