Weekly news round-up: charters, asbestos, and incentives

Posted by Lindsey at 5:02 PM

As parents and students begin gearing up for the new school year, the news this week was dominated by the standard – yet colossal and complicated – contemporary education debates, including charter schools, standardized testing, and incentives.

Mayor Bloomberg kicked off the week by announcing that 18 new charter schools would open in the city this fall. The Times opened a Q and A between readers and James D. Merriman IV, the chief executive of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence. The Sun editorialized in favor of charter schools and private school vouchers. The Daily News wrote about Bay Ridge, Brooklyn parents who oppose a charter school moving into public school buildings.

A Newsday reporter who set out to prove that the Regents exams were easy by taking the U.S. History test unprepared scored a 97 and made his point. Meanwhile, students’ scores on the Advanced Placement tests were released, and the apparently mixed results of pay-for-scores programs vaulted the issue of monetary incentives back into the papers. Employees of the Princeton Review, a high-profile national testing company, made a serious computer error that resulted in 34,000 Florida public school students' private information available to anyone online.

Several disheartening stories involved special education students: allegations of abuse in one city school, asbestos in another, and concerns over special education bus service for the fall. A disabled teacher sued, claiming his epilepsy cost him his job, and a national story about corporal punishment (legal in schools in 21 states but not New York) found that special education students – as well as minority and low income students – disproportionately felt the paddle.

And a couple of journalists used the end of the summer to ask key questions about the future. What will happen to No Child Left Behind, now that Bush is on his way out and a new president is on his way in? Will mayoral control be renewed by the state legislature, especially since Klein and Bloomberg have largely ignored politicians’ education opinions? And where does Obama really stand on education, as supporters of several different ­– and sometimes competing – initiatives claim to be in alignment with the candidate? Education mysteries abound.

Special education coalition to advocate for transparency, reform

Posted by helen at 9:35 AM

Among the 1.1 million schoolchildren in NYC public schools, 181,000 students with special needs often face unique, daunting, and systemic challenges, and parents of special-needs kids often feel excluded from the mainstream education debate.  

To that end, a new coalition (spearheaded by Advocates for Children) has been formed to advocate for special-needs families, share special-ed resources, and raise a collective voice for reform and greater equity in the special-needs community.  Visit the ARISE website for more information.  

DOE settles lawsuit

Posted by Lindsey at 12:32 PM

Insideschools' parent organization, Advocates for Children of New York, announced the settlement of a lawsuit filed in 2003 against the DOE on behalf of parents with students with disabilities. The lawsuit contended that the DOE was not always following through on the (legally required) orders of independent hearing officers who had been called in to settle disputes over students' special ed. services. The DOE will now follow a series of benchmarks when dealing with these cases and be monitored by an independent auditor.

If this situation sounds familiar, and the DOE has failed to act on the orders of an independent hearing officer in your child's case, you may be entitled to compensation in the form of a voucher. The vouchers - which are for as much as $15,000 - can be used for services like tutoring, career and vocational training, assistive technology, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other educational services. Insideschool's article on the lawsuit, the Advocates for Children press release and the lawsuit website have more information and claim forms.

Inclusion, exclusion and middle school special ed

Posted by helen at 10:34 PM

Parents and special-ed committee members met with DOE officials tonight at PS 721, a District 75 school in the far reaches of Brooklyn, to ask about two-week delays in middle-school admissions for students with special needs.

Parents spoke passionately of frustrations in getting information about the process; of second-rate attention for special-needs students; of questions long unanswered, from parents, guidance counselors and principals. Many protested the punishing rate of DOE change, and charged that a similar pace -- four major reorganizations in five years -- would likely have cost a CEO in the marketplace his or her job.

Sandy Ferguson, in his first year as executive director of middle-school enrollment, listened with equanimity and responded with welcome candor. "To be frank, we never expected this [process] would run as long as it did," he said. "We did not communicate with parents. This was a mistake and we will look to correct this for next year." According to Ellen Newman, executive director for special ed enrollment, letters went out to parents and to school guidance counselors today, Wednesday -- except for one set that were hand-delivered to The Children's School, which held graduation today (thanks to a coordinated email campaign spearheaded by parent coordinator Roxana Velandria).

One PS 295 parent noted a "general air of secrecy" regarding special-ed placements, and said that "when the general-ed kids got placed first, that hurt more than anything else." (The parent asked not to be quoted, out of concern that she might somehow threaten her child's still-unknown placement.)

Ferguson agreed, saying "It's the thing I'm saddest about. Frankly, we just ran out of time, and [the burden] came out on exactly the wrong folks. It's something I'm not proud of, and something we plan to correct next year."

Broad and deep issues persist -- space, crowding, access, and the practical fact that students with special needs are essentially excluded from a process ostensibly geared to inclusion, as they're not permitted to interview or audition for middle schools along with their gen-ed peers. Whether these issues can be effectively addressed for the coming year is unknown; for this year, it's moot.

But for those who ask, where does the buck stop? Sandy Ferguson answered, loud and clear, it stops at his desk. He's aware of the problems (although he was unaware of their historic dimensions, as special-ed results have been consistently delayed), and seems sincerely committed their resolution -- next year.

Special education meeting tonight!

Posted by Lindsey at 10:48 AM

As families with special needs students continue to wait for their middle school placement letters, officials from the DOE are showing up at the monthly meeting of the citywide council on special education to discuss the delay.Both Ellen Newman, executive director for special education enrollment, and Sandy Ferguson, executive director for middle school enrollment, will be in attendance, and anyone is invited to sign-up at the door to speak.

Patricia Connelly, a member of the council, says she is "furious about this situation." Comments on an earlier blog post about the delay for special education students show that many of you are also infuriated. Tonight is your chance to tell the DOE!

The meeting is today at 6:30 p.m. at PS 721K: the Roy Campanella Occupational Training Center, 64 Avenue X in Brooklyn. Get there early to sign up to speak, and short and sweet is your best bet -- individual public comments will be held to 4 minutes or less.

For the full story on this latest placement debacle, see the article from this week's Insideschools alert.

Special Ed Delays for Middle Schoolers

Posted by helen at 8:15 AM

In the days since middle-school placements were announced, we've heard repeatedly from parents of kids in CTT and self-contained special ed classes: Some students haven't received seats in middle school, even though they will graduate from grade school in a few days.

"Special education students will receive their placements this week," according to the DOE's Andy Jacob, who says that "a more comprehensive approach" to placement, along with making sure needed services are in place, cost the process "a few additional days" (which others might describe as a week or more, but never mind).

Elementary school guidance counselors were told that the special-ed students' placements would follow mainstream-ed matches, according to the DOE. Whether and when parents were similarly informed -- and if not, why not -- remains unclear. (We've asked.)

Parents who write us say there's a two-tier approach to middle school admissions, and that special-ed kids are treated as "second-class citizens." It's hard to believe that's actually true, but easy to see how parents, waiting for middle-school news and wanting the best for their children, can think it possible.

Readers, please keep us posted on when your special-needs children receive middle school placements. Also, we'd love to know how the school your child is offered compares with the choices ranked on the application. Thanks as ever for your feedback.

Parents fear DOE cutbacks to District 75

Posted by Philissa at 8:30 AM

Is the DOE's next cost-cutting move going to be dismantling District 75, the city's district for students with the severest disabilities? That's what parents and the teachers' union allege in yesterday's Post. They say the "hush-hush" study being conducted now by the Council of the Great City Schools to identify ways to "improve" the district is a first step toward eliminating it and sending disabled students back to their neighborhood schools.

The DOE says it had no particular agenda in commissioning the study by the non-profit research organization that supports urban school districts. But parents remain suspicious, the Post says, and they may be right to, given past chancellors' attempts to dismantle the costly district, the DOE's current preference for CTT classes that include students in both general and special education, and the budget crisis that has left administrators at all levels scrambling to find ways to save money. Either way, those looking out for children with special needs, including Advocates for Children, Insideschools' parent organization, are sure to keep a careful eye on the situation.

Insideschools takes a closer look at the Principal Satisfaction Survey

Posted by Philissa at 1:15 PM

Last week, the DOE released results of the Principal Satisfaction Survey that it said proved that principals are happy as clams. Of course, we know the truth is a little more nuanced, and as Diane Ravitch noted after speaking to a number of principals at an event, many principals were hesitant to express their true feelings because they feared retribution; officially, the survey was anonymous, but it was distributed and collected via DOE email addresses.

Still, looking past the sunny picture the DOE painted, Insideschools reporter Vanessa Witenko saw some more unsettling results. In particular, she noticed that only 28 percent of the principals who responded to the survey (who represent 70 percent of all principals) said they were at all satisfied by the way the central student enrollment office handles enrollment of kids with special needs. Check out her full report on principals' dissatisfaction with special ed enrollment.

While adults fought, kids suffered at KGIA; rally tonight

Posted by Philissa at 7:36 AM

Tonight, supporters of the Khalil Gibran International Academy are holding a "an evening of celebration and support" for the school, which continues to be troubled a semester after it opened. Earlier this month, the DOE finally announced a permanent replacement for original principal Debbie Almontaser. This week, the Post reports that shorted in the chaos of the opening months were the school's 10 students with special needs, who don't have a dedicated teacher and who apparently have not been receiving any of the services mandated by the IEPs. Class size is also around 30 students with only one teacher in the room, the Post reports, and kids in special education and general education alike are having a hard time learning. For more details about the event tonight, see the Insideschools calendar.

AFC's Kim Sweet on special ed in high schools

Posted by Philissa at 4:32 PM

Last night, Advocates For Children's executive director, Kim Sweet, presented to the Citywide Council on High Schools about the challenges facing high school kids with special needs. She said the small schools trend, coupled with the DOE's new policy requiring special education students to apply to high school through the regular admissions process, has made it more likely that students with special needs wind up with an inappropriate placement.

Sweet also said kids aren't being made aware of their diploma options, and especially of the fact that IEP diplomas are essentially meaningless; the DOE fails to help kids prepare for life after high school; and that the DOE has fallen short on creating programs for overage and undercredited kids with limited literacy. Look for more details about Kim's presentation in the next Insideschools alert.

Supreme Court lets parent-friendly special ed decision stand

Posted by Philissa at 11:55 AM

With a split vote yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a decision made in a New York appeals court that allows parents of kids with special needs to receive tuition reimbursement for private schools even if they do not first enroll in a public school.

The facts of this particular case made it a flashpoint for debate -- the parent who was seeking reimbursement is a multi-millionaire -- and the Supreme Court's action is a good one. The appeals court decision protects kids in special education and their families, who are free to seek the placements that are right for them quickly and without interruption to their schooling. The decision applies in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont.

In addition to paying for private placements for 7,000 kids whose needs the DOE agrees it cannot meet, the city is now paying $57 million a year in private school tuition for more than 3,600 kids whose parents have enrolled them in private school without first going through the DOE, the Times reports, and these numbers are up significantly in recent years. Ignoring the DOE's spotty track record in educating kids with disabilities, the DOE's lawyer told the Times, "This [decision] detracts from schools’ abilities to work with parents for the best possible educational outcomes for children with disabilities."

AFC report: DOE not readying special ed kids for life after school

Posted by Philissa at 6:18 PM

A report released today by Advocates for Children takes aim at the DOE's approach to preparing special education students for life after they finish school. The report, titled "Transitioning to Nowhere: An Analysis of the Planning and Provision of Transition Services to Students with Disabilities in New York City," finds that the Individualized Education Plans of the more than 13,000 students with disabilities who leave the city's public schools every year don't always address how the students will begin to live and work independently.

AFC reviewed IEPs for more than 250 transition-age kids (transition begins at 15 and ends at 21, when kids are no longer eligible for public education) and found that 26 percent had no evidence of any transition planning at all. In addition, AFC found that students were involved in crafting their own plans only 30 percent of the time, and parents were involved only 70 percent of the time. Community organizations and outside agencies, who are required by law to be a part of the transition planning process, were used in only 4 percent of the IEPs reviewed. The DOE agrees that it needs to work on complying with IEP requirements in general.

AFC recommends that the DOE actually start planning kids' transitions when they're 15 and reevaluating the plans yearly to make sure kids are making clear progress toward measurable goals, something that often isn't done for kids in special education. The report also calls for better tracking of what students do once they leave public school and for better vocational training programs to prepare kids to work once they've transitioned out of school. Following these recommendations would make a world of difference for kids with special needs, but better tracking efforts and improved vocational offerings would also be terrific for kids in general education.

Governor signs burden of proof legislation!

Posted by Philissa at 1:05 PM

His decision came down to the wire, but Governor Spitzer last night signed legislation restoring the burden of proof in special education cases to school districts. This wasn't at all an easy decision for the governor, so AFC and other advocates for kids who receive special education services are relieved that he chose to support kids and their families even in the face of opposition from local school boards.

Burden of proof legislation coming down to the wire

Posted by Philissa at 2:46 PM

We addressed this issue in our most recent email alert, but it's so important that we wanted to remind you that now is the time to tell Governor Spitzer that you want him to sign into law new burden of proof legislation.

By midnight tomorrow the governor must decide whether to sign a bill that would restore the burden of proof in special education cases to school districts. The bill would make it easier for families to secure special education services even when schools are trying not to provide them. Obviously, school districts are lobbying the governor not to sign the bill, and the word is that he has not yet decided what to do.

AFC urges you to tell the governor to sign the bill. To contact the governor's office, call 518-474-8390 or 518-474-1041 or fax 518-474-1513. All you have to say is, "Governor, please approve A.5396-A." The only other thing you'll need to know is your zip code. This is a fast and easy way to make a difference for many families all over the state.

See NYSARC's site for background on the legislation.

Teaching Fellows still frustrated

Posted by Philissa at 7:15 AM

If you're concerned about teacher quality and retention, take a look at "Your Own Blackboard Jungle," a long article in this week's Village Voice about the training and support that Teaching Fellows receive. (The article is similar in both structure and content to Insideschools' May 2005 article on the subject.)

The fact that "seven weeks of crash-course training and summer school student teaching, [recent fellows] say, is no preparation for the realities of city classrooms" comes as no surprise to anyone who has spent a moment in the city's schools as a teacher, parent, student, or even observer. More interesting are the article's revelations that even in high-needs schools, new fellows may receive the highest-need students, especially those in special education; that 25 percent of all math teachers and 18 percent of special ed teachers are fellows; and that administrators are aware of the vast "room for improvement" in the flimsy graduate programs set up just for fellows.

I'm also always excited to hear teachers with concrete proposals for how to improve the profession; in the article, one teacher advises the DOE to let fellows work as assistant teachers for a year before getting their own classrooms. I'm less interested in reading about young professionals who feel duped by "gauzy subway ads" into becoming teachers, only to find out that teaching is actually hard. That complaint sounds to me like smokers' claims that they just didn't know the cigarettes they were smoking could cause lung cancer. Except, of course, that teaching can be worth the risk, as some of the Teaching Fellows who have stuck with the profession have found.

Report: DOE's "deficient records" undermining special ed services

Posted by Philissa at 11:00 AM

Yesterday the city's comptroller released a lengthy report on the way the DOE tracks services for special education students -- and the picture the report paints isn't pretty. From the conclusions:

DOE is not monitoring, tracking, or documenting the provision of these services in an efficient manner, as shown by documentation that is incomplete, inaccurate, or lacking altogether. ... Due to these deficient records, DOE could not demonstrate the extent to which services were provided as prescribed by the students' Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

Unsurprisingly, the DOE is contesting the report's findings; its full rebuttal can be found at the end of the official report.

View Channel 4's news report online to hear more about the report and see how DOE officials respond. The video features AFC's director, Kim Sweet, telling parents, "You have to keep maintaining your vigilance to make sure these services are provided." That advice is unlikely to change even if the DOE does improve its record-keeping.

The New York Times ran an article about an almost identical report in 1994.

NYC special ed lawsuit heads to Supreme Court

Posted by Unknown at 11:32 AM

A lawsuit about special education in New York City is headed for the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Federal Government is siding against the City. Joseph Goldstein of the New York Sun reports on the case, writing:

The case is likely to set standards for when localities must reimburse parents for private school tuition for students with a range of disabilities. The New York City Department of Education says it must only pay for private school if, after a child is first placed in a public school special education program, the school is unable to meet the needs of the child. The city claims that any other policy will require it to pay for the bias many parents have toward an expensive private education.

Check out the full article for more details.

Special ed still more segregated in NYC

Posted by Unknown at 10:09 AM

Special ed students in NYC are placed in separate classrooms more often than in the rest of the state, and more than twice as often as the national average.

Today the New York Times published the results of a state report on special education, reporting that educational officials called New York City's statistics "disturbing." Of particular concern is the lack of special ed integration into regular classrooms:

New York State recommends that students with disabilities be integrated into the general population in regular classrooms wherever possible, saying that they benefit academically and socially from the broader contact.

But in 2006-7, 9.4 percent of students in New York City were taught in separate settings, compared with 6.8 percent for the state. The city’s number was more than twice the national average of 4 percent, state officials said. That is virtually unchanged from a decade ago, when 9.5 percent of special education students were in segregated classrooms in the city, the report said.

Although the article did contain some praise for Chancellor Klein's special education policies, overall the city's progress in this area is clearly lagging.