July 13, 2017, Kings County Politico: Brooklyn Lawmakers On The Move July 13, 2017
http://www.kingscountypolitics.com/brooklyn-lawmakers-move-july-15-2017/
Levin Joins PA James In Highlighting Failure Of DOE To Support Children With Disabilities
Public Advocate Letitia James yesterday released a new investigative report detailing the Department of Education’s (DOE) failure to serve children with disabilities through Related Service Authorization (RSA) vouchers.
RSAs are given to parents of children with disabilities when the school cannot fulfill the requirements of their specialized Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Nearly 200,000 children, or 19 percent of public school students, require an IEP. IEPs specify what individual services a child needs, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, mental health counseling, and Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS).
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.