Special education class sizes are the target (again).
By Bev Johns
“The most burdensome aspects of special education mandates identified in the survey were underfunding from state government and class sizes, especially concerning the required ratio of students with special needs to those without.” [the regulation that students with disabilities shall not constitute more than 30 percent of a general education classroom, known as the 70/30 regulation]
The Governor’s Office, working with the leadership of the Illinois State Board of Education, is working on a package of Educational Mandates to be eliminated in any Grand Bargain or Grand Compromise or as a stand-alone Mandate Relief Bill.
The number one special ed target: Special Education Class Size Regulations.
Governor Rauner has been pushing the recommendations of the Lt. Governor Task Force on Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates.
The Final Report of that Task Force shows that Special Education mandate relief is the highest priority for local school districts – Burden Ranking of 2.3 where 1 is the most burdensome. (Table 15. Prioritization of Mandates for Illinois School Districts)[the next highest is Instructional Mandates, 3.5, then Prevailing Wage, 4.5, Workers Compensation, 4.8, Physical Education, 4.9, etc.]
Special Education was the most mentioned mandate in the survey of local school districts, discussed by 19.7 percent. (Figure 8. Frequency of Mandates Discussed – By Category)[next highest is Physical Education, 16.7 percent, then Prevailing [Wage, 15.2 percent, Instructional Mandates, 13.6 Special education class sizes are the target (again). | Fred Klonsky: