improve special education:
providing access to every form of education
Special education has become a sinkhole for tax money and troubled children. Spending has skyrocketed while the number of students served remains the same. The entire concept of student re-entry from special education back into mainstream learning has been lost in the shuffle. Management of special education for the seriously impaired is a weighted challenge for the public school system. Children seriously inhibited by learning disabilities should receive appropriate guidance from teachers or counselors. Too many children with advanced levels of difficulty are in expensive and stigmatized care because our system's ability to deal with problem children is poor.
Rebuilding our school system must include focused professional training on how to spot and deal with troubled children, how to engage in timely contact and utilize referral services with parents, and strong, consistent collaboration with community resources, including those that are faith-based. This effort cannot occur without addressing the backlog of children awaiting professional evaluation. A reliance on regular system staffing for assessments will never resolve this problem.
I strongly support authorizing payment to assessment resources outside the system, using a competitive case rate by any qualified professional. State governments pay for an enormous amount of specialized education services, including separate classrooms, private schools, and residential facilities out of the city. Lack of appropriate management, outdated legal mandates, and a failure to coordinate information and care between child service agencies has led to exorbitant costs and poor outcomes.
Appropriate and effective care for troubled children can only occur by accepting a system-view of public and private services and resources. Child resources must be brought under a coordinated philosophy and strategy, one that centers around collaboration with public and private stakeholders in child, youth, and family services. The goal here is to produce a seamless and caring service delivery system for our troubled children. Such collaboration includes managing special education dollars to ensure appropriate care, the elimination of waste and duplication, as well as instituting fixed rate assessment payments to private sector professionals for children who are at risk for learning disabilities.
Rebuilding our school system must include focused professional training on how to spot and deal with troubled children, how to engage in timely contact and utilize referral services with parents, and strong, consistent collaboration with community resources, including those that are faith-based. This effort cannot occur without addressing the backlog of children awaiting professional evaluation. A reliance on regular system staffing for assessments will never resolve this problem.
I strongly support authorizing payment to assessment resources outside the system, using a competitive case rate by any qualified professional. State governments pay for an enormous amount of specialized education services, including separate classrooms, private schools, and residential facilities out of the city. Lack of appropriate management, outdated legal mandates, and a failure to coordinate information and care between child service agencies has led to exorbitant costs and poor outcomes.
Appropriate and effective care for troubled children can only occur by accepting a system-view of public and private services and resources. Child resources must be brought under a coordinated philosophy and strategy, one that centers around collaboration with public and private stakeholders in child, youth, and family services. The goal here is to produce a seamless and caring service delivery system for our troubled children. Such collaboration includes managing special education dollars to ensure appropriate care, the elimination of waste and duplication, as well as instituting fixed rate assessment payments to private sector professionals for children who are at risk for learning disabilities.