Across the nation, Americans were asked to cast their vote on issues relating to special education. Voters were asked about funding for special education in several propositions. You may have voted for a candidate because you agreed with his or her views about Special Education. Here is a brief review of the results that could affect your child’s education. In St. Louis County, Missouri, Proposition S was on the ballot. It asked voters if they wanted to allow a 19 cent tax levy to take effect. The money would be used for the Special School District of St. Louis County, … Continue reading →

Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that had to do with placement of Special Education students. He felt that the wording in the bill was too broad, and would place an unfair burden on taxpayers. Others feel the bill would have helped families to pay for placement in religious schools. In the United States, there is a constant battle going on within the education system. One one side, there is the interest in ensuring that a student who is part of the Special Education system is able to attend a school that can appropriately meet the child’s needs. On the … Continue reading →

Most of the time, if a news article talks about Special Education, it is because the news is bad. It is incredibly refreshing to hear a story about a school that has an excellent Special Education program. A school in Elgin, Illinois, has been granted a very high honor by an important national organization. It seems to me that we hear three or four negative stories about things happening in Special Education before we hear one that talks about a positive situation. I’m not sure if this is because bad news, scandalous behavior, and words of hate, fly faster across … Continue reading →

A principal in Pennsylvania is in trouble for referring to a special needs student as a psychopath. This happened during a school meeting with the student and his mother. The principal sent the comment by text message. A meeting took place at Oxford Area High School, a public school in Pennsylvania. The meeting included principal David Madden, a student, and the student’s mother. The meeting also included Lisa Lightner, who is from the Arc of Chester County. During the meeting, Principal David Madden sent several text messages. I’m not sure exactly who the messages were intended to be read by. … Continue reading →

When a company receives funding that is earmarked to be used for a special education program, it is expected that it spends the money to improve its special education program. Some companies in New York, however, instead chose to spend the funding on salary, rent, and a vacation home in the Poconos. In New York, the state comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, is in the process of conducting a total of 18 audits of the preschool special education program. The system is set up in a way that relies almost entirely on private contractors, who come from for-profit companies. A school, … Continue reading →

A school district in Missouri is facing anger from parents. The school has been conducting Special Education classes in trailers and segregating students who have special needs away from their peers. Parents want their kids to have a classroom inside the building. The school district says they don’t have the funds to make any changes. The current trend in Special Education emphasizes inclusion. Historically, the pendulum of public opinion swings from wanting all students who have special needs to be isolated from the general population to wanting all students to be together, regardless of special needs. As a former teacher, … Continue reading →