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The tips, resources and encouragement state education officials are offering schools as they provide special education during the school closures is not enough, according to some disability rights organizations.
What is needed are executive orders and legislation to push schools and districts to help special education students get the support they need during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a list of recommendations from 15 disability rights groups sent last week to Gov. Gavin Newsom and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
“It’s an emergency situation. We understand that, but we really need districts to step up and help the students who are most vulnerable,” said Malhar Shah, a staff attorney at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that advocates for people with disabilities and one of the groups that signed the letter. “The state needs to do more than just offer guidance. It needs to provide oversight.”
The letter was submitted by the ACLU of California, Children’s Defense Fund of California, National Center for Youth Law and other organizations.
About 795,000 students with autism, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy and other conditions are enrolled in special education in California.
Since schools closed in mid-March, special education has been inconsistent across the state. Some districts began offering online instruction, therapy and parent meetings immediately, while others have yet to launch any services while they deliver tablets, arrange internet service for students and teach staff how to deliver online instruction.
The California Department of Education has provided guidance and a webinar for districts, schools, teachers and parents of students in special education to help them navigate online learning. The U.S. Department of Education has also issued guidelines. But state and federal authority to enforce these guidelines is somewhat limited, so far, because online learning is not mandatory and many decisions about education are made at the local level.
Still, state officials should push districts harder, the groups said.
“We understand there’s a balance between the state’s authority and local control. That said, these are federal civil rights we’re talking about,” said Jill Rowland, education program director for the Alliance for Children’s Rights, an advocacy group based in Sacramento and Los Angeles. “When something like this happens, we have to take care of our entire community, including the needs of our most vulnerable kids.”
The California Department of Education did not respond to requests seeking comment.
The groups’ recommendations are:
Kristen Power, government relations director for the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the primary signatory on the letter, said her group has not yet received a response from the state. But she’s hopeful that at least some of the recommendations will be implemented as legislative and budget meetings continue over the next few weeks.
“Things are moving so quickly, and right now there’s a lot of uncertainty,” she said. “We have to be very nimble and responsive. But so far the conversations have all been positive and we think there’s some momentum toward the next steps.”
The system has enrolled more in-state residents, but not enough to meet targets set by the state.
Two prominent organizations say the proposal would dismantle progress made to improve reading instruction for those students.
Fresno City College professor Tom Boroujeni is unable to fulfill his duties as academic senate president while on leave, the latest update reads.
This is a continuing EdSource series on proven innovations in higher education that relate to the problems facing California’s higher education systems.
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Isaiah Acevedo 3 years ago3 years ago
I have a child with a learning disability and also medical conditions which the doctor from UCLA required for him to stay home and not to be exposed to anybody that might have Covid. The school does not want to accommodate him this coming year because they need to be present but because of his medical condition he cannot be present at school. What can I do?
Sherry Doyke 4 years ago4 years ago
Perhaps you would be interested in hosting an online opportunity for hard working SPED teachers to gather and share the good tools that are helping SPED students reach goals. I have a blog at carsplus.org, Sherry’s blog. I want to learn more about what others are doing that is working in the online environment.
Jennifer berghol 4 years ago4 years ago
Where can I find these guidance webinars?
Replies
John Fensterwald 4 years ago4 years ago
Here are some, Jennifer, but the list does not appear to include all of them.
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/covid19webinars.asp
Ann 4 years ago4 years ago
Our Special Education teacher is amazing and has given us plenty of instructional activities to work with. But without behavioral therapy at home and the one on one learning that comes with that, is setting us back. We have 5 school age children, 2 who are special needs, and trying to balance instructions for all is overwhelming. The needs of our non-verbal autistic children are not being meet due to the lack of hands instructions … Read More
Our Special Education teacher is amazing and has given us plenty of instructional activities to work with. But without behavioral therapy at home and the one on one learning that comes with that, is setting us back. We have 5 school age children, 2 who are special needs, and trying to balance instructions for all is overwhelming. The needs of our non-verbal autistic children are not being meet due to the lack of hands instructions they could be receiving if their behavioral therapist were allowed to come into our home. It would be beneficial not just to the children, but the therapist as well.
Dr. C 4 years ago4 years ago
Follow-up to recommendation #1– Would IEP teams need to re-write goals for distance learning? Goals drive services, so how will those goals shape service provisions?