Dive Brief:

• D.C. Council Member David Catania presented three bills Tuesday that would initiate massive changes in the way special education is delivered in the district.
• The bills aim to speed up delivery of services, give more rights to parents challenging the school, and encourage charter schools to be more equipped to teach students with disabilities
• Academic achievement of special-education students in D.C. is below the national average. According to city tests, 24% are proficient in math and 19% are proficient in reading. Catania, who is running for mayor and chairs the council’s Education Committee, said the bills were a response to a “crisis”.

Dive Insight:

Improvements in special education services is a must; these are some of our nation's most vulnerable students and if we don't provide proper services, we risk seeing many slip through the cracks. Critics of Catania feel the bills are an attempt to garner votes for the upcoming mayoral elections, but does that matter?