WA PO: VT makes "sweeping changes" in SPED; PA district warns SPED cost will bankrupt district

Sept 26, 2018, Washington Post: Special ed needs to change. Vermont shows how https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2018/09/26/special-ed-needs-change-vermont-shows-how/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.fff0a8fc9eb2 In too many schools, special education hurts instead of helps kids. Students with special needs are pulled out of core instructional classes and seldom get extra instructional time with a talented teacher. Even worse, too many students with special needs receive instruction from paraprofessionals who seldom have strong teaching skills or content expertise. In short, well-meaning efforts to help kids in need are doing just the opposite. Luckily, some school systems have been rolling out important overhauls. Vermont is leading the way, and this summer, the state passed sweeping changes that dramatically revamped the approach to special education. … For their part, school systems argue they don’t have the staff or tools to fully support students with disabilities. One suburban school district in Pennsylvania, for instance, recently argued it would go bankrupt in part because of rising special education costs. At the same time, special-education teachers are asked to do far too much, including manage students’ Individualized Education Programs, help with behavior issues, be experts in the law, write reports and teach reading, math and writing. No one can be an expert across such a diverse range of skills…. But in the end, special education hasn’t kept up with the times. Meeting the needs of students with disabilities requires a forward-thinking approach grounded in an expectation that even students with the most significant needs are capable and ready to learn with the right support.