NYC: Schools deny services to 9,000 disabled students

Sept 4, 2017, New York Daily News: NYC denies nearly 9,000 kids with disabilities services they need http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/nyc-denies-9-000-kids-disabilities-services-article-1.3467241 The city is illegally denying necessary services to thousands of students with disabilities — and the poorest kids get cheated the most often, according to advocates and data the Daily News obtained. As of May, 8,854 public school students with disabilities were lacking services such as speech therapy, physical therapy and counseling, according to figures the city Education Department supplied. State law requires city schools provide supports for students, and those services are spelled out in the kids’ medical treatment plans. But in thousands of cases, schools don’t have the facilities or staff to deliver mandated services. … ... She said schools often lack therapists, and parents struggle to navigate the city’s complex system for disabled students’ Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs....