COVID-19 and Students with Disabilities

Federal budget processes are complex—and their implications for education are enormous. While the ultimate FY2021 budget package is likely to be negotiated by a lame-duck Congress following the November election, the House’s proposal offers important insight into the priorities of Congressional Democrats and is therefore worth careful examination for its impacts on education broadly, as well as special education in charter schools specifically.

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.

 The Center is thrilled to announce the recent hire of Jennifer Coco, who joins the team as Local Policy Manager. In this role, Coco will focus on leading a portfolio of ongoing special education initiatives in New Orleans for the Center.

In its June 30, 2020 decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the United States Supreme Court allowed the use of public funds for private religious schools—a move that raises concerns about new legitimacy given to publicly funded voucher programs that do not support the rights of students with disabilities. 

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.

This brief, the first in a series of three, expands on the Center's full analysis of 2015-16 CRDC data and focuses on enrollment data of students with disabilities and the underlying factors that influence their access to charter schools