Tuesday Open Thread
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Comments
SPED Parent
If you think I need a poster, make one and I'll put it up. Otherwise, if you don't truly have something useful to say, please don't vent.
Trump calls on Congress to open up school choice program nationwide
At this point there are only 8 comments.
AroundBlock OnceorTwice
Are you talking to me? If so, what am I wrong about?
I am confused as to what you may think I am wrong about.
Here is the link to OCR annual reports: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/congress.html
SPED Parent
Geez
Obama's USDE picks did nothing notable for special education.
I think people in the profession of teaching special educational students should be much more concerned with the resent SCOUS ruling on meaningful benefit and FAPE because the bar has been raised and the consequences are real for teachers, schools and districts who fail to meet the new but untested LEGAL standard.
I wouldn't be surprised to see districts actively promoting the idea of vouchers in hopes of getting relief from lawsuits. Districts won't be able to force students in to vouchers and districts stand to lose millions of dollars when frustrated parents seek outside services using voucher funds.
Maybe this fear will help stop districts from the well known practice of taking funds for high incidence disabilities and using them for low incidences self contained programs while taking 30+ high incidence students and placing them in a "studies skills" classroom with no SLD.
In my opinion, special educational vouchers in many cases are a superior relief compared to due process.
Vouchers Please
SPED Parent
Please explain your comment and show your data that supports it.
Which state gives special education students vouchers in addition to public school enrollment?
That's the district finding the way to serve kids properly, not leaving parents to suss it out and find out that the dollars given won't cover those services.
Morning side and Hamlin do serve high incidence SLD students with very good results.
The special educational vouches could be used to offset the cost of these 2 local schools. Anecdotal evidence shows 50% of high incidence SLD students receiving outside services at the parents expense. The federal voucher funds can be used for these services as long as the parent signs an IDEA waver for the school year. The student can stay in public school with a 504 plan.
These are all positive steps and perhaps public schools might want to compete for the money by actually having effective meaningful services.
SPED Parent