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Kids with disabilities entitled to education

Diane Willcutts West Hartford

Publication: The Day

Published 02/07/2010 12:00 AM
Updated 02/07/2010 05:54 AM

The editorial "No-cost changes to help school boards," published Jan. 22 , wrongly suggests sacrificing students with disabilities to "help" school budgets. Connecticut's legislature has repeatedly said no to this, requiring that districts keep the burden of proof in special-education hearings.
Thousands of Connecticut parents have called the Learning Disabilities Association in crisis, scared their children are not learning and puzzled that school staff say "everything is fine" while the child falls further behind. Parents spend years watching children struggling, becoming depressed and giving up on learning. Requesting a hearing is a last resort.
One hearing can cost $80,000 or more. Schools spend taxpayer dollars on attorneys and experts, but parents pay those fees out-of-pocket. Less than 1 percent of parents file for hearings, even when the child's program is grossly inappropriate.
The law requires agencies that take federal money to keep records proving compliance with the law. If a district doesn't want to keep records proving its special-education programs are appropriate, the school doesn't have to take special-education money.
Either way, civil-rights law requires public schools to educate all children, including those with disabilities.
To reduce costs, school boards should spend less on attorneys and more on effective instruction.
Editor's note: The writer is president of the board of directors of the Learning Disabilities Association of Connecticut, Inc.

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