Friday, April 21, 2017

14 Devious Claims to Destroy Special Education

14 Devious Claims to Destroy Special Education:

14 Devious Claims to Destroy Special Education


Around the country, state education chiefs, local school superintendents, and school boards are eliminating special education services. There’s an effort to get rid of special education. Sometimes this is done through language that sounds appealing.
Who doesn’t want a quality education for all children? Why not declassify students? Do schools really need part-time resource classes for reading? These claims might sound acceptable but they almost always lead to budget cuts!
Here is what I am referring to. If I have left something out or you have a favorite claim that’s made to get rid of special education please let me know.
  1. “The bar is too low.” When the IEP is written carefully with feedback from parents and a variety of specialists the goals should be realistic and challenging. The bar should never be set too low if parents are involved in the decision-making and the IEP is written correctly.
  2. “We need an enrollment cap.” Caps on special education should be outlawed! Ask the Texas Education Agency how their cap on services is working out. 
  3. “General education needs the money more than special education.” This has been a common claim from the beginning of IDEA (PL 94-142). It pits special education against general education.
  4. “Students deserve quality schooling.” This implies that special education, or any kind of individual assistance, lacks quality. It’s an attempt to convince 14 Devious Claims to Destroy Special Education: