Reforming Special Education

december 2004

Past Columns

When President Bush came to Washington, D.C. four years ago, he made clear reform of the education system was going to be a top priority. During his first year in office, we passed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. The following year, President Bush's Commission on Excellence in Special Education released a final report that outlined principles for special education reform.

Educating children with special needs is a challenge that needs and deserves strong support from the federal government. Ultimately, however, it is the parents, teachers and local officials who do the hard work. Federal policy should support their efforts, not hamper them. That's why the House recently reformed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), landmark legislation that makes needed changes to special education policy at the federal level. The goal of the updated legislation is to empower parents, make safety and discipline top priorities, ensure that local resources are locally controlled, and reduce costly paperwork and litigation.

All parents, especially those with special needs children, take a keen interest in their children’s education. Parents should be the ones making the decisions about what’s best for their child, and this legislation makes that possible. Now, parents and local schools will be allowed to change a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) without holding a formal IEP meeting. This eliminates a huge bureaucratic step in an effort to make real progress in a child’s education.
The legislation also gives teachers and schools more freedom to control the classroom, while protecting children who act out because of their disabilities. The key here is restoring common sense discipline to our schools by making them safer and more accountable to students and teachers.

Over the past ten years, the Republican led Congress has increased funding for special education grants to states by 383 percent, bringing the federal share to a historic high of $11.1 billion. This money won’t do any good for our schools or the students they serve unless the local officials and administrators who know where it’s needed are allowed to spend it as they see fit. These much needed IDEA reforms will give local communities more control over their own resources.
As in other areas of our society, excessive litigation and regulation has had an extremely adverse effect on special education. The legislation addresses this by encouraging early resolution of problems between parents and teachers before they escalate. The threat of litigation shouldn’t divert schools’ attention from their most important responsibility, educating children.