Thread: Special Education Costs

I am a regular ed teacher who gets Spec Ed kids mainstreamed into my class, so that is where my perspective comes from. My opinion is that Spec Ed needs some serious overhauling in many respects. My Spec Ed colleagues spend way too much time on IEPs, making sure all the signatures are in black ink, sifting through folders the size of a Gutenburg Bible, and otherwise spending time on a colossal waste of effort. (After all, when the child graduates, what becomes of all that paperwork...?) The basic premise of Spec Ed is a good one- we have to be able to go the extra miles to reach some students at all. As far as resources- sure, I'd like to see some diverted to my "normal" students for a change, but then again, if anybody sorely needed resources, its going to be the Spec Ed folks, so I don't begrudge them what they get- much.

JohnBoy,

The reason we sped teachers take so much time on IEP's is that they are leagally binding documents. If something is written in the wrong way or included when it shouldn't be the district could be liable for a lot of money. If something is left out, a student won't get a needed service. IEP's are the worst part of our job. Each can take up to 2-3 hours to write and seldom less than 1.5 hours.

There is also a ton of other paperwork that goes along as well, prior written notices, meeting notices, census forms (weekly). goal and objective totals, IEP Report cards, and so forth.

To answer your question, the paperwork goes on to the high school, a copy will go to the college (the student takes it there). The set that belongs to the school district is either destroyed after a certain amount of time or gets scanned (in the old days to microfilm). The High Schools do the same thing.

There are also a lot of times when we, as teachers, go back and reference old IEP's for data on student trends (behavior changes for instance).

Bober,

You can't take the cost of educating an autistic student and use that as a yardstick for sped costs. There are a lot of materials and items that are needed for special populations like that. These days assistive technology costs a freaking fortune. Some of that money also goes to training teachers (TEACCH workshops for instance).

I like that you are looking at both sides of the question. I do disagree with you statement that, "...special education was originally set up to provide services for those who are otherwise not able to have a quality education"

I would say that special ed. was created to help those that are having learning or functioning difficulties in the regular classroom environment." Maybe we're just splitting hairs in this area though

As far as funding. special education is [supposed] to be funded through IDEA and takes no money from regular ed students. That said, IDEA has never been funded fully and special ed funding is a constant search for grants.

Special Education is far from a mockery, as your teacher friends said. In fact in many ways special education is better than it ever was. SPED kids are making better progress, more often reaching their potential, having more positive attitudes about themselves, and seing greater acceptance in the regular education classroom. I am a 4th generation teacher and a 3rd generation sped teacher. I've seen (and heard the stories) from my Great Aunt and my Mother. I know how it used to be and how it is now and except for the crap being pulled under All Children Left Behind, special education is better than ever.

Have a great 4th of July!

PLD :P

The reason we sped teachers take so much time on IEP's is that they are leagally binding documents. If something is written in the wrong way or included when it shouldn't be the district could be liable for a lot of money. If something is left out, a student won't get a needed service. IEP's are the worst part of our job. Each can take up to 2-3 hours to write and seldom less than 1.5 hours.

I am quite aware of the legalities- but I still disagree (my opinion is that such things are make-work programs for lawyers). Those are hours that could be spent much better- think about what could be done if the spec ed teachers could spend that time doing something constructive instead of preparing documentation against some thug of an ambulance-chaser.

One thing that often gets overlooked in the dilemma posed by Bober is that the moneys spent on many Sped students is not wasted when placed in a greater context. Children who are dyslexic for instance are so disenfranchised by their illiteracy that most doors are closed to them when they leave school. Not surprisingly, prisons have a much larger percentage of illiterates than the greater pool of society does.

Looking more specifically at autism, a proper program which has been demonstrated to be effective in remediation can indeed cost $50K+ per student-year. However, with a success rate of roughly 50%, the actual savings to society over the lifetime of the child is about $2.5M, based upon the average costs of lifetime residential as reported by the NIMH to Congress in 1999. The only point to quibble on really is the fact that early intervention geared towards remediation comes from the State's Education Budget, which historically has been about 85% funded by the State, while the lifetime care comes from the Medicaid Budget, which depending upon your State overall econimic health is either 50% or 75% Federal money.

Certainly Congress should pony up what they promised all those years ago when they first enacted IDEA - 40% funding for Sped services. It was in the law, which has never been rescinded, just ignored.

There is money out there, despite what some may say about the shortfalls of current budgeting. One example is here:

[url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/01/AR2006070100962_pf.html"]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 62_pf.html[/url]

Here is another:

[url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/02/AR2006070200691_pf.html"]http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 91_pf.html[/url]

Dad-- well done, thank you for your insight

Answer to #1.) "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" for ALL Americans. THAT'S why we spend the money on Special Ed students.

Special Ed covers a plethora of levels...to say that students will/do not become contributing members of society sounds like someone is laying the ground work for eugenics...

Answer to #2.) All students should be offered the services that Special Ed students qualify for...where's the money? In California we spend a lot of money protecting the rights of those who do not qualify as American citizens and yet receive all the services and protections offered to those who are covered by/under the Constitution...

We spend more money on our pets than we do on our children.

Otto13