Mar 3, 2023·edited Mar 3, 2023Liked by Laura McKenna
You are right! But, at present, it's a pipe dream. In New Jersey (as you know) public and private schools don't want to get more specific. If educators (who are not private evaluators or tutors) actually recognize the disability, they might be legally required to address it and show progress. The only thing worse to schools than properly identifying a disability is quantitative data and meaningful IEP goals. Why identify dyslexia when you can call it an SDL, toss a kid in a room, check a legal box, keep the state/federal money, then let the parent pay a lawyer to enforce the toothless laws. Until Endrew F. works it's way back down to the local level and the NJDOE swamp is drained, I'm not sure more specific disability labels will change anything. I hope I am wrong.
Mar 1, 2023·edited Mar 1, 2023Liked by Laura McKenna
Good point--the reason many school districts do not do a very good job with studients with disabilities is cost--as well as finding and retaining staff. One of the ways to help is, as you suggest, a regional approach. St Louis County, Missouri, where I live, has such a regional structure--it provides services for students in their local school districts and operates a variety of standalone schools for various populations. It's not perfect--integrating the regular school district and special school district folks depends a great deal on the personalities of the folks on both sides of the table, but it works pretty well. The St Louis City public schools are their own district and are considered their own county, so they are not included in this program, though there is some discussion of combining them. The special school district is also its own taxing authority, so parts of everyone's real estate and personal property taxes go to it--as well as the local school districts. Here's a link to their website: https://www.ssdmo.org/
You are right! But, at present, it's a pipe dream. In New Jersey (as you know) public and private schools don't want to get more specific. If educators (who are not private evaluators or tutors) actually recognize the disability, they might be legally required to address it and show progress. The only thing worse to schools than properly identifying a disability is quantitative data and meaningful IEP goals. Why identify dyslexia when you can call it an SDL, toss a kid in a room, check a legal box, keep the state/federal money, then let the parent pay a lawyer to enforce the toothless laws. Until Endrew F. works it's way back down to the local level and the NJDOE swamp is drained, I'm not sure more specific disability labels will change anything. I hope I am wrong.
Good point--the reason many school districts do not do a very good job with studients with disabilities is cost--as well as finding and retaining staff. One of the ways to help is, as you suggest, a regional approach. St Louis County, Missouri, where I live, has such a regional structure--it provides services for students in their local school districts and operates a variety of standalone schools for various populations. It's not perfect--integrating the regular school district and special school district folks depends a great deal on the personalities of the folks on both sides of the table, but it works pretty well. The St Louis City public schools are their own district and are considered their own county, so they are not included in this program, though there is some discussion of combining them. The special school district is also its own taxing authority, so parts of everyone's real estate and personal property taxes go to it--as well as the local school districts. Here's a link to their website: https://www.ssdmo.org/