Regents vote to cut services to special ed students under guise of “cost containment”
Despite months of protest, tens of thousands of letters and e-mails and passionate testimony by parents and educators, the New York State Board of Regents voted on Nov. 16 to implement a series of “cost containment” proposals that affect some of the most vulnerable students.
The service cuts will allow schools to place more than 12 students with IEPs in integrated co-teaching (CTT) classes, eliminate minimum frequency and duration requirements for speech therapy services (currently two 30-minute sessions a week) and eliminate certain instructional services for students with autism.
“These changes are being made solely for purposes of saving money, regardless of the widely acknowledged harm they will do to students with disabilities,” said Carmen Alvarez, UFT vice president for special education. “This is a sad day for the children of New York. UFT members and
