In February 2020, the Center completed an analysis of the challenges associated with educating students with disabilities in Connecticut charter schools. We found that these challenges are symptoms of two broader issues—the state’s inequitable public education funding system and problematic ambiguity in the state charter law.
Today, June 19th, marks 155 years of Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration honoring the end of slavery in the United States. While the holiday is recognized in most states and has long been celebrated by the Black community, renewed national attention to the legacy of white supremacy in America has drawn additional attention to Juneteenth this year.
As our country and the world grapple with how to adapt education and school in the context of COVID-19, we have an opportunity and an obligation to do things differently—to not allow marginalized students to be an afterthought, but instead to infuse equitable, inclusive strategies from the outset in order to benefit all students.
Today and every day, the Center stands in solidarity with our Black colleagues and friends and with the entire Black community as it mourns yet another senseless series of losses.
In this guest post, Claire Nilsen Blumenson, Executive Director & Co-Founder of the School Justice Project, shares how her organization is fighting for court-involved students with disabilities to receive educational support.
America’s hopes for a speedy recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic have not materialized. After several months of sheltering in place, tragic death tolls and widespread sickness, most of us remain cloistered in our homes. As Memorial Day approaches with no vaccine or pharmaceutical solutions in sight, prudence requires that we take a fresh look at the circumstances and reconsider our plans for education into the summer and beyond.
If you’re a parent whose world has been turned upside down by COVID-19, you’re certainly not alone. In the span of days as the virus spread, America’s parents took on a new role—co-teachers. And as students around the world have transitioned to remote learning, parents of students with disabilities are facing particular challenges. While everyone’s situation is different, we’ve compiled a few tips to consider as you move forward.
The Center applauds the drafters of the HEROES Act for prioritizing education funding in this latest relief package and for ensuring that states receiving relief funds guarantee that the rights of students with disabilities remain intact.
It’s National Charter Schools Week — and in the midst of a particularly challenging period in American public education, the innovative, nimble approach epitomized by charters is more valuable than ever.
States need additional education funding now—and the Center applauds a new federal funding request from a group of Democratic senators led by Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire that would specifically provide additional funding for the provision special education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
