Special Education
Laws & News
Across the States
IL: Funding alternatives proposed amid CPS budget deficit
NBC Chicago
Chicago Public Schools is facing a massive budget hole, as the district needs to find $734 million in funding or make cuts equaling that amount. On Saturday, CPS hosted its fourth community feedback session, where residents came together to brainstorm ideas and shared what’s most important to them. The latest session came two weeks after CPS laid off more than 1,400 employees. Nearly 55% of those cuts were to special education
WA: Disability advocates concerned about destruction of WA state records
The Seattle Times
Julie Gunter was trying to get appropriate services from the Seattle School District for her daughter and other students with disabilities, but hit a major snag: past records of how other school districts handled similar situations were not available — not even in the state archives. The records Gunter wanted, called Special Education Community Complaint decisions, are commonly used to help argue for better services for students with disabilities. In 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, and later in 2024, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) quietly changed its policy for how those documents are stored, allowing even decisions that disability advocates say have precedential value to be deleted after six years. Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle, said he finds the destruction of the records after a short timeframe “mind-boggling.” He compared OSPI’s decision to the destruction of police misconduct records, which would hamper any effort to find patterns of civil rights violations.
WV: West Virginia schools tackling special education shortages through training and innovation
wvnews.com
Special education is a key component of public school systems in the state. However, there are several challenges facing individuals who work in these positions. School boards across the state are working on finding ways to improve their special education offerings and address program needs. In Wood County, administrators are working on training their special education staff to make sure they’re prepared for whatever comes their way, said Justin Hartshorn, assistant superintendent of Wood County Schools. “We are really focused this year on providing training to all of our staff,” he said. “One big thing we focused on this past year was compliance. We really struggled with compliance during the 2022-2023 school year extensively.” Since then, significant improvements have been made, with the county now a leader in compliance, said Randy Simmons, compliance specialist at Wood County Schools. “We’re working hard to have all of our students tested within 80 days from the day we receive parental consent,” he said.
WI: Wisconsin increases special education funding, but advocates say more is needed
news8000.com
Wisconsin will increase its support for special education funding under the state’s biennial budget passed earlier this month, marking the largest boost in nearly three decades. However, public school advocates argue the increase falls short of what’s needed. The budget allocates nearly $1.4 billion for schools and raises the state’s special education reimbursement rate from approximately 30% to 42% in the first year and 45% in the second year. This means in year two, schools will get $0.45 for every dollar spent on special education costs. “We were advocating for 90% reimbursement for special education,” said Peggy Wirtz-Olsen, a teacher and president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council. “We need full reimbursement for special education needs.”
CA: New pizza shop ‘Pizzabilities’ in Alpine employs disabled young adults
NBC 7 San Diego
‘Pizzabilities’ had its grand opening on Saturday in Alpine, right along Alpine Boulevard. The pizza shop has a pretty clever name, considering they provide possibilities for each and every employee who works there. Grace Baker was one of the store’s first employees. She has Down Syndrome. Josh Baker is her dad, and he’s also one of the owners. Baker told NBC 7 that his daughter just graduated from high school at 19 years old, and was having a tough time locking down a job. That’s when inspiration struck. “She loves pizza, and I’m a business owner, and let’s see what we can do,” said Baker. “We started this in hopes of being able to create jobs for people with special needs who are otherwise having a difficult time finding employment,” he added.
CA: California shows how states can step up for young students with disabilities
The 74
California is emerging as a national model for how states can better support young children with disabilities by bridging long-standing gaps between early childhood education and special education systems. The state has launched a series of initiatives aimed at improving access to services, streamlining referrals, and training educators to identify and respond to developmental delays earlier. These efforts include pilot programs to coordinate care across agencies, updated data systems, and professional development focused on inclusion. By proactively addressing the fragmented support systems that often delay or limit services for young learners with disabilities, California is demonstrating how state-level action can lead to more equitable and effective early intervention.
FL: In the name of parental rights, new law requires sign-off for corporal punishment in Florida schools
Florida Phoenix
HB 1255, passed this spring, requires parents to consent to corporal punishment either for the school year or before each instance the punishment is used in traditional public and charter schools. Kim Winker, the Moms for Liberty Florida legislative chair for the 2025 session, told the Phoenix the law is “the right way to go” and benefits schools, teachers, administrators, parents, and students — and that she, too, was surprised to learn that corporal punishment was still occurring in Florida. “We were concerned that parents were not given the right to opt in to student corporal punishment, and the fact that it was being disproportionately used on disabled students was concerning to us, as well. We wanted to advocate for allowing parents to decide the discipline decisions being made on their children at school,” Winker said, adding that she is “definitely for” an outright ban on corporal punishment. According to data compiled by the Policy Forum, while students with disabilities comprise around 20% of school enrollment, in 2023-2024, they accounted for around 40% of corporal punishment inflictions.
TN: Tennessee schools may soon require less red tape to remove students with disabilities from classrooms
WPLN News
It may soon be easier for Tennessee schools to remove students with disabilities from classrooms. But advocates worry the removals may be overused and make behavioral assessments of these students less effective. The Tennessee Board of Education is considering a rule that will allow schools to remove students with disabilities who are a “disruptive force” from classrooms to a more restrictive environment. Typically, teachers needed to complete a functional behavioral assessment or revise a behavior assessment plan before removal, per a 2022 state law. The Tennessee Department of Education noted that teachers expressed having great difficulty educating students with disabilities who are presenting significantly dangerous or disruptive behavior. The proposed rule would allow teachers to conduct behavioral assessments after the student has been removed from the classroom to a more restrictive environment.
VA: Report outlines challenges of Va.’s special education compliance system, recommends improvements
Virginia Mercury
After years of inconsistencies and complaints, Virginia has moved closer to revising its process for reporting issues with special education services, aiming to improve the structure and ensure that families receive the necessary services for their students with disabilities. The issues with the state’s dispute resolution system — an impartial procedure for parents and schools to resolve disagreements over issues with special education services — have created a divide among parents and public school leaders for at least the past five years.
Wendy Little, a parent advocating for her son who is autistic, spoke on Monday to the state’s dispute resolution system advisory group as it reviewed a study with findings about the existing system and recommendations for bettering it. Her son’s story was a key inspiration for the formation of the advisory committee through successful legislation to address the system. She called for an overhaul of the current system to resolve problems special needs families face concerning their children’s education.
CT: Connecticut’s special education infrastructure to undergo independent review
fox61.com
Connecticut’s special education infrastructure, processes, support, and accountability systems are set to be reviewed by WestEd, a national organization with significant expertise in special education. Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker announced this week that WestEd’s comprehensive evaluation of the Connecticut State Department of Education, or CSDE, will analyze all facets of special education in the state’s public schools. This includes how complaints are received, tracked, investigated, and resolved.