Who Pays for Special Ed - Time Magazine

Comments: 13

Diane White Sep 22, 2006, 2:24am EDT

I keep asking this question of the self proclaimed education gurus on Gather: Is education a categorical good or is it only good for instrumental purposes? I get a lot of evasions. Special education keeps growing. Ignorance keeps growing. No child left behind? Behind what?

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Gerry Wass Sep 22, 2006, 11:29am EDT

I suppose that I might be one of the self-proclaimed education gurus on Gather Diane mentions above, since I'm a teacher. I need clarification about the question that everyone seems to be evading for you. As far as I can tell, there is no automatic good in any human system. It depends upon the individual president, campaign staffer, minister, technician, nurse or teacher. So I certainly won't stand up and shout that we need to educate everyone to some minimal government standard so that no child is "left behind." It's too simplistic to have anything more than symbolic meaning. But that said, I don't think I've answered the question at all because the question wasn't clear. Who is asking why special ed and autism keep growing? Who is looking at trying to protect our kids from the genetic damage that creates these problems.? Lots and lots of people, but nearly all of them seem to be outside government or regulatory circles, on the fringes where change begins.

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Emt Mom Sep 22, 2006, 4:11pm EDT

I think if they want to send their child from Colo. all the way to school in Boston, then move to Boston. First of all that is an outrageous amount for a school to have to pay, for one child. What happens to all the other kids at that school when they are forced to pay all that for one child? I have fought long and hard battles to keep my son in the town school system, and am hoping to keep him there. He is doing well in school and most of his problems are at home. Rught now we are looking at some more testing, and a special school has been mentioned to us as something we may need to send our son to. I have already started looking into the schools in my state, and have found one that is only 45 minutes from our home. There is another I know of that is in another state, but that school is also only 60 minutes from my home. I can NOT even imagine wanting to send my child that far away from home, and if it was the ONLY school then I would be selling my home and moving closer to that school.

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Diane White Sep 22, 2006, 7:54pm EDT

Okay, Gerry, here's the question: Is education a categorical good or is it good for instrumental purposes only. I stated it clearly above. It would seem you are an example of the "system" as it exists. You don't address the question. You don't understand the question.

What is it you "teach?"

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Bonnie Sayers Sep 22, 2006, 8:03pm EDT

Do a google search on Higashi school in Boston because a few years ago either Dateline of 20/20 did stories on the abuse that went on there at one point.

My issue with the story is that it does not state what else they did and they mention that they have other kids and cannot make this kid a priority. That seemed off to me that they want the school district to make it a priority. Why not just move to Boston? Did they try intensive behavioral therapy in the home?

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Karen S. Sep 22, 2006, 8:11pm EDT

I do not agree with how much money this family is asking a school district to pay for one child for services outside of the state. I think that far exceeds anything fair. I had a child who I dealt with IEP'S and had very few battles with the school he always had the services he needed, I however did not make demands that were hard for them to fill. I do think the school would have been better off sending him to the school the parents requested closer, yes they did not want to send the money there, but they would not have that tax money if the famiy up and moved.

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Noelle M. Sep 23, 2006, 1:23am EDT

We live in Colorado and I know there are a few good autism schools in town. Maybe the parents rejected them for not being residential schools. I don't know. I agree - if they felt that strongly that their son belonged at this school in Boston, why didn't they move there?

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troublemkr s. Sep 23, 2006, 4:47pm EDT

oh, my gosh, this connections deal does work. i usually post about current events, politics, international stuff. and i clicked on someone who posted a comment and found the autism group.
i have asperger's, was just diagnosed and i am an older adult. my grandson was diagnosed with it a year ago and when my daughter read about it, she saw me. she sent me links to articles and said you have to read about your grandson. i started reading and realized that i had this.
it has healed our family, when they realized what i've always been dealing with. they used to find fault with me and now they see the social disconnection.

i think i'm going to start a group for asperger's people. i appreciate knowing what is happening in the field.
and i would absolutely love to hear from other families that are dealing with asperger's.

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Bonnie Sayers Sep 24, 2006, 12:25am EDT

Good points Lisa.

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Lisa S. Oct 9, 2006, 9:51am EDT

Lisa, I concur - it would shame me to send my child so far away. Consider this though - look at the report and how successful this school has been when no other school has. It's a tough call. The thing that distresses me most is that mid to low-income families of children with special needs simply cannot afford to take on the system when their child is not getting the care/education that could help their child thrive. If you note in the article, the parents feel that thier child would have wound up being institutionalized and not learning anything at all. Chances are, if the parent was somebody with a much lower paying job than this doctor, that's most liekly exactly what would happen!

Just goes to show that most Federal laws empower those who have and tells the have nots 'too bad, so sad'..............

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Who Pays for Special Ed - Time Magazine

Comments: 13

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