wkow.com

Parents of children with special education needs gathered at the State Capitol on Wednesday to urge legislators to increase funding for special education services. The rally was organized by Melissa Custer and COPAA member, Tiffany Schanno, who launched the Learn in My Shoes campaign to bring attention to the issue of inadequate funding for special education. Both Custer and Schanno are parents of children with special needs and believe the state must do more to support these children. To make their point, the parents brought nearly 100 pairs of shoes to the Capitol. Each pair was labeled with the name of a child with special needs and a story of their challenging journey. The display was meant to symbolize the struggles these children and their families face due to insufficient support and funding.