Rethink special education (Part 1)

[Guest guest]

Washington Times Article published Apr 29, 2008

Rethink special education

(Part One of Three in a Series)

April 29, 2008

http://tinyurl.com/5hsgex

THE WASHINGTON TIMES EDITORIAL - Long before Congress passed what is now the

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975, parents and

policy-makers grappled with the issue of how best to educate children and

young adults with special needs. Should these students be taught in isolated

environs or should they be mainstreamed? The answers are as disparate today

as they were prior to IDEA, but solid research remains a guiding beacon.

Today, America has an estimated 7 million students who are labeled disabled,

and a handful of states, including Florida, are employing nontraditional

methods to educate such students. Some school systems, like D.C. Public

Schools, seemingly drag their feet with IDEA and other laws that mandate

children have a right to a free and an appropriate education. As a result,

the District and the others find themselves reacting to costly lawsuits and,

consequently, wasting millions upon millions of dollars each school year on

out-of-state tuition, transportation and court costs that could be put to

better use inside classrooms. Florida, on the other hand, began its

first-in-the-nation voucher program for students with special needs in 1999.

Called the McKay program, it allows the parents of students diagnosed with a

disability to receive vouchers that can be leveraged at public and private

institutions. The dollar amount of the scholarships is the lesser of the

tuition at a private school or the amount the public school would have spent

on the student. A new report released today by the Manhattan Institute -

" The Effects of Special-Education Vouchers on Public School Achievement:

Evidence from Florida's McKay Scholarship Program " - evaluates Florida's

program and its academic proficiency.

In a three-part series beginning today on our Op-Ed page, the authors of the

report, Marcus A. Winters and Jay P. Greene, explain the effects of

Florida's McKay voucher/special education program, and why parents view

vouchers and special education as a good match - " more than 90 percent of

parents participating in the McKay program report that they are satisfied or

very satisfied, while about a third of them were similarly satisfied with

their previous public school. " In the third installment that will be

published Thursday, the authors look at vouchers and special education

through the lens of the federal government and presidential politics,

encouraging " a fresh approach to school choice that would allow parents of

disabled students to use federal special education dollars in any public or

private school they see fit. "

Florida parents are satisfied and learning-disabled students are learning.

The Manhattan Institute report adds an important voice to the ongoing school

choice-public education debate. We urge lawmakers, policy-makers and school

reformers on every level to read it (www.manhattan-institute.org). For the

leaders at our home base in Washington, it's a must read if parents and

their special children are ever going to get the special attention they

deserve.

Amy

Fighting the fight for all our children's rights...