Dive Brief:
- Writing for the Huffington Post, Edvocate founder Dr. Matthew Lynch details three game-changing events that affected the nation's special education students and their families.
- Lynch, who wrote "The Call to Teach," highlights the U.S. Department of Education's decision to create more rigorous special education benchmarks, as well as an Ohio University Study that found SPED students learn better in mainstream environments and President Barack Obama's guidance detailing steps to protect students with disabilities.
- From Lynch's perspective, "[2014] was one of many wins for special education students and the start to many great initiatives in the future."
Dive Insight:
Research and policies aimed at bettering the U.S. special education system are not only appreciated, but necessary. In October, the the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reported that special education students and students with emotional and physical disabilities are far more likely to be sucked into the school-to-prison pipeline. The paper reported that about one out of three children in the juvenile justice system has an emotional or learning disability.
Despite the stats, these children are often not getting the supports they need. In November, a class action lawsuit filed in a New York City District Court alleged that the city's education department didn't adhere to state and federal laws mandating special education students receive transitional services. For example, the parents of 16-year-old plaintiff Mohand Khattab say he never received a vocational assessment or training on life after high school.
