Right now, schools determine whether to move a student into special education classes. But a proposed bill in Tallahassee would give parents of children with special needs more power over their education. Fort Lauderdale 6th grader Mariah Harris has Down syndrome, and she wants to be a veterinary technician. “My dream is to go to [...]
Since January three Hillsborough County students with disabilities have died during school-related events. Isabella Herrera, 7, died in January after she had trouble breathing on a school bus. Jesse Shillingford, 15, drowned at a back-to-school party hosted by a charter school. And Jennifer Caballero, 11, wandered away from a gym class — and five aides [...]
The Georgia Department of Education is threatening to close an online charter school run by K12, the nation’s largest online education company, over issues with special education students. The agency issued a report last week that the K12-run Georgia Cyber Academy has repeatedly failed to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and [...]
After waiting 57 days since the school year began, Henry Frost will be able to cross the street and walk less than the length of two football fields to attend his neighborhood middle school. Frost has been taking courses at home while engaged in a dispute with Hillsborough County schools over where he should attend. [...]
A group of parents is asking for the resignation of Hillsborough schools superintendent MaryEllen Elia and school board member Candy Olson following the deaths of two special needs students. A protest is planned for 4 p.m. today at the school board meeting. School board members are also questioning the district’s policies, the Tampa Bay Times [...]
Election Day isn’t keeping the State Board of Education from meeting this week in Boca Raton. The panel has a full agenda on Election Day that includes a discussion of whether to appeal court rulings in two lawsuits: Teacher evaluations - The Florida Education Association and two named teachers sued the State Board of Education [...]
Our story about Henry Frost’s efforts to enroll in his neighborhood school also sparked a discussion about language. Dean McIntosh criticized our describing Frost as a “student with autism.” The debate is over what’s known as “people first” language — that is emphasizing the person over the diagnosis. But McIntosh says you can’t separate autism [...]
Yesterday we told you about Henry Frost, a Tampa student with autism seeking to enroll in his neighborhood school. The school district wants Frost to attend a specialized program at another school, his family says, and are asking him to take tests and provide evidence he can handle life at his neighborhood school before enrolling [...]
Henry Frost, 13, is fighting for a seat in his neighborhood school, instead of the specialized school administrators have found appropriate for him. His photo – and his cause – has gone viral since the photo was posted at the end of August.
Americans overwhelmingly support educating students with disabilities, but are skeptical of the number of students classified as needing special education. That’s according to a Fordham Institute report on school spending. The Fordham Institute found 40 percent of new education spending between 1996 and 2005 went to special education. Four out of five Americans believe U.S. [...]
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