Rep. Stan Lee has pre-filed a bill to create special needs student scholarships to help some families opt out of their assigned public school when their education needs are not being met.
Given the current political realities in Frankfort generally and in the House Education Committee specifically, it is extremely unlikely this bill or anything like it will get a hearing.
Kentuckians deserve to have more accountability from their public school administrators than we currently enjoy. Can't imagine why they run so frantically from even discussing ways to better serve vulnerable kids in Kentucky.
Anyone inclined to just dismiss the idea out of hand would do well to talk to someone in Georgia, which has already implemented a similar program to the one being proposed here.
Friday, December 19, 2008
A discussion we need to have
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5 comments:
http://www.dailyyonder.com/flight-rural-private-schools
Ummmmm HELLO, CAN ANYONE say IDEA law? Under the Individuals of education Act schools are mandated to provide the appropriate services. There is no need for scholarships; just make the schools do what they are required to do under federal law; which they receive federal grants for.
Since Stan is a lawyer why doesn't he take a couple of these suits and bust some schools; then all the others will follow.
I have to comment here as well...While it is true that IDEA is a federally funded program, it has been severely underfunded from the start (in 1972, I believe). This lack of funding has lead to many different challenges, lack of providing appropriate or adequate instruction, etc.
Now, I am NOT a fan of providing scholarships (at this point in time) to enable parents to pull their kids out of schools and send them to others. What I would propose instead, is that there be an exception to any existing "caps" in place that allows the KEES money to follow that special needs child. As it stands now, if there is no cap or waiver agreement between the school districts that are affected, neither school gets the money for the child. This would enable money ALREADY set aside for situations such as this to simply follow the child. I am all for holding educators accountable as well, and I hope they continue to do so. But in situations where one distict may not be able to provide what the special needs child needs, the parents should be allowed to send their kids where they want, to better the opportunity. Many are limited due to cap agreements. For example, in Pike County, between the Pikeville Independent School system and the Pike County Schools, a total of 340 students county wide, who live in the county but want to attend Pikeville, are allowed. That's it. If you are a parent of a child who would benefit more from Pikeville than Pike County, and you are number 341 or above on the list, too bad.
The county schools complain that it is costing the $1.5 million a year to allow these kids to go to Pikeville, I say make sure you are using that $1.5 million a year APPROPRIATELY, and that would never be an issue. Don't spend it all on political nepotism and making sure unqualified people have or keep a job. If Pikeville (or any other school for that matter) offers something better for the kid, they should have the opportunity to benefit from it.
Eddie
There is no way financially that Pikeville Independent schools can provide more services than the much larger Pike County School system.
The reasons so many parents want their child to attend Pikeville is because the Pikeville schools provide a much better education than the Pike County schools and has nothing to do with special need students.
Gee, who would want their child to attend Mullins elementary which by the way has holes in the second floor to see into the first floor, has sewage run up into the cafeteria at least twice a year, and has problems with bat guano building up in the gym? Meanwhile, Mullins a Pike County school is only a couple of miles from Pikeville Elementary where-
There are no holes in the floor, no sewage in the cafeteria, and no bat guano in the gym.
Why would Pike county allow such a school to become in a run down position? Because the former superintendent was from Belfry, and built a new Belfry Elementary school, a new Belfry middle school, and a new Belfry High School.
And the Kentucky Department of Education was fully aware of the conditions at Mullins when they approved the building plans in Pike County.
Right, IDEA has always been underfunded by the feds. However, if schools systems have enough money for every sports team known under the sun, in addition to the best sports equipment; is it too much to ask that they provide the appropriate education for ALL students, including those with learning disabilities instead of encouraging them to drop out of high school?
Anonymous:
It's not about providing more services, or services of comparable size, it is about providing QUALITY of service at a value for the money.
I agree, Mullins was in deplorable shape (still is). Just because Pikeville has money for their athletic programs, doesn't mean they also don't provide a top notch education for special needs students. I was using the Pikeville/Pike County as an example regarding allows KEES funds to follow children school to school. If you will notice, I said ANY school that provides what the child needs. If they get it at Millard, East Ridge, Phelps, or Pikeville, it doesn't matter, AS LONG AS THEY GET IT.
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