School Choice Ohio Blog

As Doug Krinsky mentioned in his post, there’s no reason that the type of scholarship that students with autism enjoy in Ohio couldn’t be extended to students with other disabilities.

Below, a legislator who has been a stalwart of support for school choice shares his vision for a comprehensive Special Education Scholarship.

State Senator Jon Husted

First off, thank you for allowing me to participate in such a wonderful occasion as Autism Awareness Month; I salute all of you that work tirelessly on this important cause.

While the awareness and detection of Autism has come a long way, there is no denying that we still have a long way to go, especially in the area of educating children who have Autism. Not every child learns in the traditional way and that is why I have continued to fight to ensure that parents have a choice on where their child is educated. I believe parents are best suited to determine the educational needs of their child, not teachers unions or bureaucrats in Columbus.   

During my time in the legislature, I am most proud of the tremendous gains we have made in the area of school choice. During my time as Speaker of the House, I was proud to work along side then-Representative Jon Peterson, to implement the Autism Scholarship Program. Today, there are nearly 1,500 students taking advantage of this scholarship program which enables them to attend schools that best fit their educational needs.

For the last several years, I have been trying to win approval of the Special Education Scholarship Program. My goal in creating this program is to allow students that have been identified as having a special education needs, to apply for a scholarship to pay the expenses of an alternative public or private special education program. Even though this has yet to become law, I can assure you I will continue to fight for this important educational choice for Ohio’s children and parents.

We still have a long way to go in Ohio, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you to ensure that all of Ohio’s children receive the education they deserve.

We stand alongside Senator Husted in support of this important legislation. To voice your support for the Special Education Scholarship proposal and learn more, visit www.scohio.org/specialeducation.

In what must be a huge frustration for special education teachers and aides, not to mention parents and students, The Columbus Dispatch reported yesterday on a state law that enables more school districts across Ohio to re-route special education funding away from special education.

As the Dispatch reported, the Ohio Department of Education has granted additional flexibility to districts in spending their special education dollars. Amazingly, the changes now mean that districts may be able to divert funds even if they aren’t making progress according to federal standards or educating students in the “least restrictive environment.”

Controls and tracking on how school districts spent funds generated to educate students with special needs were already sparse, but this gives districts explicit permission to use a portion of these funds on other things. Districts aren’t hesitating – $22 million are now being diverted statewide.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing is the constant refrain heard from school districts that special education is inadequately funded. If true, the diversion of additional funds that could have adequately funded educational services for students with special needs is unconscionable. If false, claims of inadequate funding go from being unconscionable to immoral.

Students must be funded based upon their educational needs, and the funds generated by the educational needs of students should be spent on providing services to those students. Sounds simple-but how could this be accomplished?

It is again time to revisit the idea of a voucher for students with special needs. A program of this type has been considered by the last three General Assemblies and with good reason. It puts the funds necessary to educate a child with special needs where it belongs-in that child’s educational program. You can learn more about the proposed voucher on our website.

A special needs voucher would give parents who are tired of financial shell games and who are frustrated at the services their child is receiving an option. This is an option most parents of special needs students in Ohio do not have.

While the transfer of funds designed for the education of students with special needs is frustrating, it is not the only evidence that the current system may not be working properly. In October, the Columbus Dispatch reported on a case challenging the way students with special needs were funded. That case took 18 years to make its way through the legal system (see our response here).

It is becoming increasingly clear that the status quo has to change. Placing the power in the hands of parents of students with special needs to choose where their child goes to school would do more than any regulation ever could to assure that school districts dedicate the resources necessary to provide these students with an appropriate education.

- Chad Aldis

Rounding out a decade of booming growth in education options, school choice moved forward in 2009 with new energy and quality. Among the year’s highlights:

• The number of Ohio students using the state’s three scholarship programs continued to climb. In 2009, more than 20,000 students benefitted from the Autism Scholarship, Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, and EdChoice Scholarship.

• School choice programs survived threats of severe budget cuts in a difficult financial year. Despite some fiscal cuts, these options remain for families searching for the best environment for their children’s education.

• The Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program received international attention. School Choice Ohio staff and other Ohio education leaders met with Japanese education officials looking to emulate Ohio’s school choice programs.

• More and more parents raised their voices for school choice. Active parental school choice ambassadors are organizing EdChoice floats in community parades, hosting community information meetings, inviting legislators to visit their schools, speaking at conferences, and telling the story of school choice across Ohio. 

• High quality, innovative public school choice options in Cleveland garnered well-earned praise. In a school district that struggles to overcome a lot of obstacles and inertia, school choice is a point of light thanks to school leaders for whom “failure is not an option; neither is mediocrity.”

• New state testing and reporting requirements means increased transparency for Ohio’s scholarship programs. Parents and the public will have more information than ever about how students using vouchers achieve and grow academically.

• The Ohio Senate included the creation of a new Special Education Scholarship in their version of the state budget. The proposed scholarship would expand the Autism Scholarship to students with all learning disabilities. It was nixed before becoming law, but families continue to seek alternatives.

And with that, we here at School Choice Ohio wish you a Happy New Year!

- Sarah Pechan

Everyday there is a parent somewhere in the state fighting for the educational rights of their child with special needs. That parent’s fight might have just gotten easier.

Eighteen years ago, a group of parents of students with disabilities filed a lawsuit against the state charging that the state system for funding their education violated state and federal law. Over time, the lawsuit became a class action on behalf of all students in the state with a disability. At issue were both the funding for and the method of providing services to students with disabilities.

Finally, last week, a consent order agreed to by both parties and approved by Federal Judge John D. Holschuh was announced that partially resolves the case. The settlement changes the way that the Ohio Department of Education implements the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which is designed to ensure that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate education.  The department is required to improve the way it monitors school district special education programs, to handle complaints in a timely fashion, and to ensure the law’s procedural safeguards are met.

While this partial settlement is a victory for the parents trying valiantly to provide their children a proper education, it is going to take awhile for districts to become fully compliant with the law in order to meet the individual educational needs of each student. In addition, the case has not settled the way Ohio funds special education for students. 

The consent order, highlighting the important role of the Department of Education, provides that in the event that school districts are unwilling or unable to comply with IDEA the department must “…provide or arrange for the provision of services directly to the student.” Until such time as all schools are compliant and the funding issues are resolved, parents will need the flexibility to find the school that best meets the educational needs of their child.

There is another way to provide students the individualized services they need. Ohio could create a scholarship for students with special needs that empowers parents to find the educational setting that works for their child.

This is not a new idea. In fact, parents of students with disabilities in Florida have had this option now for ten years. The popular program, known as the McKay Scholarship, is being used by over 20,000 students in the Sunshine state.

Here in Ohio, the Autism Scholarship already recognizes that a one-size fits all educational system has left some students with special needs behind. It offers parents the ability to find programs that provide specialized instruction from certified teachers and focus on the social and academic needs of students with autism.

All parents of students with special needs should have that ability. There is pending legislation, Senate Bill 6, which would create a special education scholarship and allow up to 3 percent of students with disabilities in grades K-12 to attend alternative public or private special education programs.

If this legislation becomes law, parents would for the first time be on an equal footing with school districts when important educational decision affecting their children are made. A scholarship, along with the important changes mandated by the recently decided lawsuit, could dramatically change the educational environment for students with special needs.  

During the past18 years, we lost a generation of students that could have benefited from an early ruling and a special education scholarship. Ohio should act quickly to ensure all students truly have access to an education where their needs can be met.

Chad Aldis