Month: December 2020
-
Could addressing dyslexia boost literacy in Michigan? Some lawmakers want to find out.
This article was published on Chalkbest Detroit by Koby Levin on December 22, 2020. Michigan has spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars aimed at improving early literacy, yet roughly one in three Michigan fourth-graders don’t have basic reading skills, a figure that has hardly budged in two decades. Sen. Jim Runestad says he can help…
-
Their son had autism. Mom didn’t speak English well. COVID-19 put school online: One family’s fight for special ed services
This article was published on WTTW by Matt Masterson on December 18, 2020. This story was produced by the Teacher Project, an education reporting fellowship at Columbia Journalism School. NUTLEY, N.J. – Ever since Carlos Tejada was diagnosed with autism at 13 months old, his parents have struggled to find him the right services. It was…
-
CPS Expanding Tuition Reimbursement Program to Fill Special Education Vacancies
This article was published on WTTW by Matt Masterson on December 18, 2020. By the time Arlene Comendador joined Frazier International Magnet School on Chicago’s West Side last winter, she already knew she wanted more for herself in her career. Comendador began work as a substitute teaching English language arts at the elementary school, but…
-
Committed: Kids With Disabilities Increasingly Swept Into Mental Health System Under Baker Act
This article was published on WLRN by Lynn Hatter on December 16, 2020. Each year, about 36,000 children in Florida are involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluations under the state’s Baker Act and disabled kids are becoming increasingly ensnared. The Baker Act was not designed for kids, yet the number of children who are involuntarily committed…
-
Navy hires special education attorneys as part of pilot program for families
This article was published on Stars and Stripes by Rose L. Thayer on December 16, 2020. AUSTIN, Texas — The Navy has hired two special education lawyers as part of a three-year pilot program to expand support for service members enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program. The two civilian attorneys, who have a background…
-
Special ed in the age of COVID-19: ‘The school bus for distance learning came. But it didn’t have a ramp.’
This article was published on Berkeleyside by Ally Markovich on December 11, 2020. Since schools shut their doors in March, Dalilah’s* son has been struggling. When classes moved online, Adam* began to despise school. First, he refused to open his computer. Then came the meltdowns. Adam has a language disability that makes it difficult for…
-
‘Inclusion works’: Families of kids with special needs share the benefits of inclusive education
This article was published on Advocate Lake Highlands by Carol Toler on December 9, 2020. On the first day of school last year, first grader Alora Huebner told her mother, Kristin Milota, she wanted to meet the school’s new principal. Alora had completed kindergarten and was ready for first grade at White Rock Elementary after…
-
NYC’s staffing crunch takes a big toll on students with disabilities, report finds
This article was published on Chalkbeat New York by Amy Zimmer and Alex Zimmerman on December 1, 2020. To say remote learning is difficult for Lupe Hernandez’s second grader is an understatement. Nico is on the autism spectrum and can struggle to manage his emotions, especially feelings of frustration. That’s why he is assigned a…
-
Proposed MO House bill hopes to allow parents to record special education meetings
This article was published on KOMU by John Jenco on December 9, 2020. JEFFERSON CITY – A pre-filed bill for the 2021 Missouri General Assembly legislative session would give parents or legal guardians of students with special needs the ability to record IEP or 504 meetings. House Bill 228, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Basye, would…
-
FDOE: Sarasota County School District falsified records and wrongfully placed numerous students in special needs program
This article was published on WWSB by Jessika Ward on December 9, 2020. SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – On Tuesday, Dec. 8, the Florida Department of Education released results of a 2019 investigation that was conducted by FDOH’s Office of Inspector General and revealed the Sarasota County School District falsified records and wrongfully placed several students…