Michigan Schools and Parents of Disabled Children in Conflict

As in other states, Michigan schools are seeing more and more parents of disabled children pulling them out of public schools, providing alternative private education, and then suing the Michigan Schools to foot the bill.
Comments on article "Michigan Schools and Parents of Disabled Children in Conflict"
Name Views and CommentsDate
DawnLePichouron This article is very politically biased toward the "establishment" of the Michigan Public school system, and very wrong to specifically name the child and family involved of one particular case. Further, it is ludicrous for the author to state that Speech Therapy, or any other such services, is not required by law, when referring to services only minimally provided to a 12-year old autistic boy. This would depend on the particular Special Education services accommodations this child was granted (or not), and no such substantiating background was provided by the author. Folks, the parents of children in this state with special needs are "paying" for FAPE for their children via their own tax dollars, and many already pay dearly from their own pockets for private services. They are legally entitled to such public educationservices for their children, as qualified by law. Unfortunately, most parents of these children are put through living hell by the public school system when trying to address their childrens' needs, and for the author of this article to imply that these parents have an "entitlement" mentality towards public funding "handouts" is not only wrong, it is unconscionable. If the state's funding is limited, then the reasons for this need to be addressed, and NOT at the expense of special needs children and their familiies. Very sloppy, slanted journalism. 9/10/2007
Marcie Lipsitt I have to strongly disagree with your thoughts on special education students and what they deserve. First of all IDEA requires that all special education students receive "meaningful educational benefit and a free and appropriate education." On July 28th in a State Review we were awarded the private home based program with all private and certified teachers that I continue to evolve and for the very reasons I list above. Further if school districts were fiscally responsible and accountable; if states weren't top heavy in school districts, ISD's, and the expenses incurred in real estate, staffing and running of these administration buildings there would be PLENTY of money to provide a meaningful education for each and every child. The good news is that the majority of children are not my son, Andrew. They can have meaningful educational benefit and reach their potential in a school. This was not and is not true of my son and painfully will never be. The program we have created with his doctors located in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan along with Boston, Massachusetts where we take him monthly for the medical management of his brain illness and medical morbidities..........is Andrew's only hope of meaningful learning. Parents need to understand far more about not only special education but the overall management or mismanagement of their district, ISD and State Departments of Education. Critical change and overhaul is needed in public education in this country if our children are to become the future citizens we need them to be. 9/3/2006
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