Special Ed Needs to Change. Vermont Shows How.
September 26, 2018
By: Nathan Levenson
Source: The Washington Post
In too many schools, special education hurts instead of helps kids. Students with special needs are pulled out of core instructional classes and seldom get extra instructional time with a talented teacher. Even worse, too many students with special needs receive instruction from paraprofessionals who seldom have strong teaching skills or content expertise. In short, well-meaning efforts to help kids in need are doing just the opposite.
Luckily, some school systems have been rolling out important overhauls. Vermont is leading the way, and this summer, the state passed sweeping changes that dramatically revamped the approach to special education.