Good IDEA Gone Wrong

This was an editorial I wrote for a Writing Workshop class. It's the first editorial I've ever attempted to write, and unfortunately it came out sounding more like a scholarly research paper.

Special needs education is a rapidly growing field of study as every day more children are diagnosed as special needs. Some parents will simply seek a prescription from their doctors as a quick fix to their child's inattentiveness, but for the vast majority of Americans whose children have been diagnosed, special needs goes far beyond anything a pill can cure. These parents depend on the staff of their child's schools to make sure they are being educated in a manner that will allow them to reach their maximum potential. The Massachusetts Department of Education (MASSDE), however, has repeatedly violated the rights of special needs children to the appropriate educational accommodations they need in order to learn.

Under federal law, students with disabilities are entitled to “free appropriate public education . . . and related services designed to meet their unique needs.” This was established in 1975 under the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which was reauthorized and renamed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990. The underlying principle of IDEA is often swept aside by Massachusetts's additional Effective Progress standard. Effective Progress grants special education only to students diagnosed with learning or developmental disorders which are a hindrance to the effective progress of their learning. While this seems like a reasonable addition to ensure the proper distribution of funds, it has been egregiously abused to deny struggling children the special education they need.

One major complaint with the special education system in Massachusetts is that, because of low funding, only those who are diagnosed as disabled are entitled to the benefits provided by the system. School staff evaluate a child's diagnosis and discuss the creation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which is created based on the student's evaluation results and expectations of both the staff and parents. In many cases, the school's staff disagrees with the diagnoses provided by physicians, psychologists, and neurologists, insisting that children are either misdiagnosed or that their diagnosis does not prevent Effective Progress. It is extremely common for parents and teachers to disagree on the terms of an IEP as many schools do not offer programs that accommodate specific learning disabilities.

The lack of qualified special needs professionals in public schools often leads to the creation of IEPs based on what is available rather than what is best for the child. Parents who can afford to do so may hire educational consultants to work with their children in school, but this method is costly and difficult to coordinate with the school. Many frustrated parents feel that the special education system is minimally helpful to students with disabilities.

The overwhelming failure of the special education program in Massachusetts is a direct result of poor funding for public schools. In a 2008 study done by the New American Foundation based on data from both the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Education, Massachusetts ranked 24th in federal IDEA funding per disabled student, despite having the 2nd largest percentage of disabled students in the country. The full report shows that funds are allocated based more on student poverty than disability. Federal funding of IDEA has been a disgrace from its origins, never covering the 40 percent of excess costs promised under EHA. This leaves the state and local government to pay for the majority of special education costs, as they are required by federal law to provide for these students once they accept any amount of federal funding.

Many argue that since the creation of EHA and the start of federal special education funding there has been no noticeable improvement in the overall effectiveness of the education system. This is a common myth which does not hold up to examination, as the U.S. Census Bureau claims a more than 10 percent increase in high school graduation rates since 1970. If funds were properly allocated and put to use, this figure could be increased even more.

The general lack of funding for special education both in Massachusetts and across the country stems from the avarice of the average American taxpayer. There are many citizens who feel that it is unjust that they must give up a small portion of their money to pay for the education of another family's children. But is it not far more unjust to deny these children the educational standards provided to “normal” children? If denied the special education they need, today's children will develop in a world in which they cannot properly function, surrounded by a society which has cruelly cast them out for a small price. As congress stated when EHA was first passed, “With proper education services, many would be able to become productive citizens, contributing to society instead of being forced to remain burdens.” If our society values the prospect of minor luxuries over that of a proper education for our children, than we have truly abandoned the future for our own hedonism.