All the new proposals have to do with is money, the god of the people running the system now. I wouldn't be so upset if there was even a hint that these changes would make things better for the children.
One of the big changes would be a dropping the required minimum of two 30-minute speech therapy sessions a week for students needing this. Their general right to the therapy would be maintained. Also, the 30 to 60 minutes of daily language training for students with autism will also be dropped, but their right to the training will be maintained. I can just see it all now, parents being strong armed into giving up their rights, being told of other services their child will be deprived of if they demand the sessions. And then there are the parents that do not know how to fight for their child. By allowing this change, we are discarding these children, relegating them to lives without needed skills to survive.
Another major change allows schools to increase the number of special education students assigned to inclusionary classes from 12 to 14. Anyone who has ever worked in these classes knows these kids survive because of the extra help they receive. Twelve is too many, 14 is a set up for failure.
All of these revisions are supported by Albany-based groups representing school boards and superintendents. Note, children are not represented. Robert Krakow, the co-founder of the Manhattan-based Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy, which provides legal support for children with disabilities, said, "We all understand that we're in difficult financial times, but cost savings shouldn't be placed on the backs of the most vulnerable students who need the most focused interventions."
(Entire Newsday article reprinted here as Newsday restricts access to subscribers only.)
State education officials are poised to trim mandated services for thousands of special education students - including some provisions on the books more than 20 years - in an effort to provide financial relief for schools.
The state's Board of Regents is scheduled to vote this week on politically sensitive changes in special education rules that would allow schools on Long Island and elsewhere to raise some class sizes and reduce speech therapy for students with disabilities, including autism.
Special education accounts for about a third of total school costs, including more than $3 billion on the Island alone.
Supporters of the changes say school districts could continue providing all existing services if they wished, and that students with disabilities still will be guaranteed "appropriate" education under federal law. Nevertheless, Regents supporting revisions have found themselves bombarded in recent weeks by e-mail from parents, speech therapists and other opponents who say changes would slow students' progress.
"I don't have a problem with making it more flexible, as long as the parents and the district agree they ought to have that flexibility," said Roger Tilles of Great Neck, who is the Island's representative on the Regents board and is the parent of a teenager with a disability.
Tilles referred to federal requirements giving parents a strong voice in special education services for their children.
The proposals are scheduled for votes by a Regents committee Monday, and by the full board Tuesday. Tilles predicted passage.
Rule changes, debated the past two years, would:
Drop a required minimum of two 30-minute speech therapy sessions each week for students needing this, while maintaining their general right to therapy.
Drop a required minimum of 30 to 60 minutes' daily language training for students with autism, while maintaining their right to such help.
Allow schools to increase the number of special education students temporarily assigned to "inclusionary" classes from 12 to 14 with state permission. Such classes typically are assigned two teachers, along with equal numbers of students with and without disabilities.
Revisions are supported by Albany-based groups representing most school boards and superintendents on the Island and statewide.
However, many parent advocates of students with disabilities view the changes as a retreat from the state's traditionally generous support.
Robert Krakow, the co-founder of the Manhattan-based Elizabeth Birt Center for Autism Law and Advocacy, which provides legal support for children with disabilities, said, "We all understand that we're in difficult financial times, but cost savings shouldn't be placed on the backs of the most vulnerable students who need the most focused interventions."
4 comments:
Fortunately, Governor-elect Mario Cuomo has pledged not to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers, so only the most vulnerable and defenseless, like those you mention, will suffer. For the rich, it's still party on, dude!
And if they run into any difficulty, they can always call on us to bail them out. It's the American way.
Why is it that the children who need these services the most are the ones being punished? Do they think these parents aren't politically aware or know how to fight the system? Boy are they in for a big surprise!!
If these parents had to pay for these services on their own, it would cost a fortune and insurance companies aren't any better than the pols who come up with these ideas.
Wow. I guess they are serious in booting nonsped and nonremedial out of the system.
My district has about $150K left to cut from reg ed before they have to start cutting transportation, sped, or salaries or raise the levy. They've already cut all nonrequired classes. Last year's budget cuts floated the idea of dropping middle school foreign langauge and putting the nonsped/nonremedial students into study hall instead (it would be their third sh of the day). All college prep electives were cut in favor of dual enrollment. A sr who can't dual enroll has 2.5 classes and 4.5 study halls unless there is an opening in an Adv. Regents elective or they take study hall or band.
It now costs less to do high school academis via distance learning that it does to take the courses from the district or from dual enrollment. Perhaps NY should loosen up and let the college prep crowd take more than 5.5 of these classes, since the poorer districts can't provide a full schedule of classes to nonsped.
I assume by inclusionary classes what they're talking about are classes that in addition to special needs kids also include gen ed students, environments that are overwhelming for ADHD and autistic kids to begin with. Leave no corner of education un-gutted. Look for more special ed bashing in the future...
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