Special Education in Seattle Schools: Why Not Better for These Students?

Several stories across my desk on this issue.
1) Here's a letter from one mom to Superintendent Nyland about the bus strike.  I had thought the district HAD to figure out bus service for these students but apparently not. From Soup for Teachers' Facebook page (bold mine):

Third day of the bus strike-fourth letter to SPS

Dear Dr. Nyland and Directors,

Today is the third day of our school bus strike and many of our district’s special education students have not been able to attend school and receive their much needed therapies, services and education during the strike. Federal law requires that you transport special education students to school but you have only offered us mileage reimbursement. For many Special Education families, like my own driving our students to school is not an option. Not only is this a real equity issue, it is also a FAPE denial.

I called OSPI Friday and this morning I received a call from the regional coordinator of bus transportation. He called the director of SPS bus transportation to let him know accommodations needed to be made quickly as I was prepared to file a citizens complaint. I called my Special Education regional specialist and was able to set up taxi service for my students beginning tomorrow.

I should not have had to make all these calls. The district needs to communicate with special education families immediately to offer taxi service. Some families like my own may be able to manage with a reimbursement. For many though, reimbursement will be a barrier as will language, so you will need to have school staff work to eliminate these barriers and get our kids back in school.

Another way you can help get our kids back in school is to put more pressure on First Student. Let them know they must return to the bargaining table and that SPS will not accept anything less than fair health care benefits even for contract employees.

Honor the strike as our brave teachers will be doing on Wednesday. Honor our families by making sure every special education student has a safe way to get to school. 

2) From Newsweek: Disabled Students Make Up 75% of Preschool Expulsions As Trump Officials Reportedly Weigh Rollback of Obama Guidelines

A new Center for American Progress report shed light on highly disproportionate expulsion and suspension rates for disabled students in early education programs, as the future of Obama-era guidance geared toward protecting such populations remains uncertain under President Donald Trump's administration.

The report, released Wednesday, revealed children ages 3 to 5 who have disabilities and/or emotional and social challenges represent 75 percent of early childhood program expulsions and suspensions, despite only making up 12 percent of that student population. 

These children are also more than 14.5 times more likely to face suspension or expulsion than their "typically developing peers," the report stated. It offered breakdowns by disability: the odds of expulsion and suspension range from more than four times more likely for children with speech disorders to more than 43 times more likely for children with behavioral problems.

At the early education level, "suspension" equates to sending a child to the principal or director’s office, or asking a family member to pick a child up early. "Expulsion," on the other hand, might entail informing a family they must seek out a new care arrangement, the report stated. This type of disruption—especially on a frequent basis—is damaging for students' development, Novoa said.

 3) A great op-ed in the Seattle Times from an SPS parent, Lynn Dixon, asking for the state to fully-fund those students' educations.