Opinion: Students Need More Options

My wife, Liz, and I have a 5-year-old son named Sam who, along with his little brother, Pete, is our pride and joy. Sam was diagnosed with autism-spectrum disorder at age 4. The symptoms of ASD vary but are characterized by social deficits and repetitive behavior. His doctor says he is high-functioning, which means that with the right schooling, therapies, teachers and family support Sam could be “mainstreamed” into a regular classroom with his peers in the future.But getting from here to there is going to take enormous effort, and our local public school has already shown an unwillingness to help. Sam is old enough to attend kindergarten in the fall, but after reading his progress reports and listening to his therapists, Liz and I agreed he was not ready to tackle the added challenges of kindergarten. His language skills are still delayed and he has sensory and social issues that could use another year of work.

Federal Complaint Filed Against Vouchers

DENVER -- A state advocacy group for the disabled is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Douglas County's voucher pilot, alleging it discriminates against children with special needs.
The Legal Center for People with Disabilities and Older People filed the complaint Monday with the department's Civil Rights Division, citing violations of federal laws governing the treatment of students with disabilities, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
"Our allegation is that parents of kids with disabilities don't have an equal opportunity to benefit from the program," said Randy Chapman, the center's legal director. "The services offered by the private school partners are limited at best."
As evidence, the center submitted applications from the 19 private schools approved for participation in the pilot by Douglas County district leaders. They show some school officials readily admitting they do not serve all students.