Federal Legislation & News
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How can education savings accounts serve students with special needs? (Opinion)
Education Week As education savings account (ESA) laws have been adopted by a number of states in the past few years, many observers have wondered how these work in practice. One huge area of interest is their impact on students with special needs. Well,...
Cuts to Title III and civil rights enforcement will harm English learners, report says
K-12 Dive How will potential cuts in federal funding and changes in civil rights enforcement impact English learners? A new report from the Children’s Equity Project at Arizona State University raises concerns about proposed cuts to formula grants for Title III...
Initiative addresses racial disparities in special education
PHYS.ORG For decades, educators and researchers have raised concerns about students of color, particularly Black students, being disproportionately enrolled in special education. At San Francisco's public schools, disparities persist, despite the district's many...
CT: Several Connecticut special education programs failed to provide services during 2022-23 school year: state audit
Yahoo News The State of Connecticut released an audit on Wednesday, Sept. 10, showing that private providers of special education did not fully deliver the required services, and showed deficiencies that threatened the quality and safety of learning for children...
ID: Special education parents say kids are falling through the cracks of Idaho schools
Boise State Public Radio “We’re failing our kids.” That’s a quote from a Fruitland mom who says her daughter and other kids who need special education are falling through the cracks in Idaho. A new investigation has learned that more and more parents are filing...
IL: Chicago board of education raises concerns about special education staffing
Chalkbeat Chicago Board of Education members are calling for more transparency from the district on cuts and changes being made to special education staffing positions. “Our parents are saying that their children are not receiving their services,” said elected board...
IN: How does this acclaimed Indiana charter school keep halls calm? Suspending students
Mirror Indy Thirteen-year-old Levent goes to an Indianapolis middle school that’s been celebrated for its test scores. But his mother, Shania, says he’s falling behind because the school has suspended him repeatedly. Levent has ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity...
MT: Montana advocates worry about federal impacts on support for students with disabilities
KFF Health News In August, a federal judge in Montana approved a settlement between the state’s education agency and disability rights advocates that will enable eligible Montana students to continue receiving special education services through age 22. Despite...
NH: Court extends temporary restraining order on anti-DEI certification by schools
InDepthNH.org The US District Court Wednesday extended its temporary restraining order blocking the state from enforcing its prohibition on “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs in public schools, colleges and universities or their contractors until Oct. 2 at...
NH: New Hampshire is underfunding special education, Superior Court judge rules
The Dartmouth Superior Court Judge David Ruoff in New Hampshire ruled that the state’s special education funding is “constitutionally insufficient” on Aug. 18. Ruoff wrote in his decision that underfunding special education means that “school districts must rely...