Comments on: “Extra-special education at public expense”

By: Overlawyered

Overlawyered — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:49:26 +0000

School choice, the special-ed way

Regarding our Mar. 24 item on demands for accommodation of special-ed students, which has touched off a considerable discussion in comments, Warren Meyer at Coyote Blog makes the important point that special ed represents one…

By: wavemaker

wavemaker — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:17:18 +0000

deoxy, yes I am — we’re talking Aspergers Syndrome…and enough others in the district to construct a small program for them in-school…

The transportation alone to the sped school is $33,000. That’s (min) one highly-trained teacher already, for the cost of one kid’s van ride.

[editor’s note: thread continues here].

By: Deoxy

Deoxy — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 11:18:27 +0000

Jeff,

My wife is a special-ed teacher.

From that perspective, depending on the severity of the child’s problems and the area of the country (as average salaries vary,etc), $60,000 a year for the kid could vary from “rip off” to “OMG that’s cheap!”

Assuming the kid has some fairly severe problems (no time spent in “mainstream” classroom), $60,000/year would vary from “somewhat over-priced” to “ULTRA-CHEAP”, depending on the area.

In short, that’s only a rip off and/or a waste of tax-payer money if the kid has fairly limited disabilities. Well, that’s also assuming he’s the only kid – there is SOME economy of scale, though not a lot.

By: Coyote Blog

Coyote Blog — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:47:55 +0000

School Choice for the Legally Savvy Parent

It appears that at least one group of students in California get a school choice program: Those with irritating but legally savvy parents. (Hat tip to Overlawyered)In Sonoma County, for example, a family recently enrolled its child in an out-of-state

By: Jeff Hall

Jeff Hall — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 17:41:58 +0000

A quick word for Deoxy – my son is not having his medical needs met at school. He has doctors for that. He is being educated in school, but educated to function at the basic levels of society, not do calculus. Spending money to help special needs children learn to function only saves long term societal costs later. What I am saying is that there is a place to provide for the common good AND act in a way that insures common sense. Maybe I am still too young and idealistic, but I hope that markm is wrong when he says that no government agency is capable of common sense.

By: Deoxy

Deoxy — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 17:37:59 +0000

“And ironically, our community pays over $60,000 for educating our son in a special needs school because they prefer to ship him elsewhere than to implement a program in-school.”

Are you suggesting that “implment[ing] a program in-school” would be cheaper? Not likely…

By: wavemaker

wavemaker — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:12:02 +0000

Ditto to Jeff Hall — me too. And ironically, our community pays over $60,000 for educating our son in a special needs school because they prefer to ship him elsewhere than to implement a program in-school.

By: markm

markm — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 13:43:31 +0000

No government agency is capable of common sense.

By: Deoxy

Deoxy — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 10:38:20 +0000

The child mentioned in the second point, and especially the child mentioned in the first post are both excellent examples of children who SHOULDN’T be in the school system at all.

The school system’s budget is for “education”, not medical expenses or other such things.

By: Kent

Kent — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 00:37:22 +0000

My nephew has been diagnosed with Aspberger’s syndrome. In Colorado, this entitled him to a range of special educations services. These ended abruptly when he tested as gifted in mathematics; apparently it’s unthinkable to treat someone as disabled if he is also gifted.

There is no rationality to the system because there is, as Jeff Hall says, no room for common sense.