tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post6908105593464409349..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: After the Families&Education Levy, what about SPS' Levies?Melissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-85447396455051331732018-11-08T15:11:52.674-08:002018-11-08T15:11:52.674-08:00Special education is not, and never was, discreti...Special education is not, and never was, discretionary. The state is absolutely correct in restricting use of the levy for special education as levies are not mandated. Levies were never supposed to fund special education as it is defined as basic. Special education is supposed to be funded with regular education dollars. And it will be. Everyone crying about the levy and special education is essentially saying that special education is discretionary. You are wrong. Worse, that admission is tantamount in saying that students with disabilities should and will bear the brunt of whatever funding deficit there may be. Students with disabilities are protected from this erroneous line of reasoning with IDEA’s “maintenance of effort” provision which requires districts to fund special education regardless of whatever funding shell game is current. Requiring special education students to dip into the levy for their basic education funding is exactly this shell game. The district will have to use its regular funds instead of the levy. So let’s stop spreading the rumor that special education is underfunded. If anything is underfunded, it is regular education. Underfunding can not be an excuse to fail to provide services.<br /><br />speddieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-35654093171775299692018-11-07T15:50:05.083-08:002018-11-07T15:50:05.083-08:00It sounds like the Times is essentially saying “ye...It sounds like the Times is essentially saying “yes, we realize the state still hasn’t fully funded education, but Seattle should let students suffer a few more years in order to potentially force the state’s hand,” is that accurate? <br /><br />If you ask me, going ahead with levy is more likely to get the state’s attention, since the inequities won’t look good. They’ll find they need to come up with more money for all.<br /><br />HFAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com