DETAILS
- Lawsuit Ruling & WSSEC Recommendations
- Court's Opinion in Special Ed Lawsuit
- Amicus Declaration of Washington State Special Education Coalition
- WSSEC Public Policy Chair Comments on Special Ed Funding & Current Trial
- Letter on Sp. Ed. Funding Structure
- Response to Letter on Sp. Ed. Funding Structure
- Presentation for House Appropriations
- Fall 2004 Status Report
- Comments on Special Education Lawsuit
- August 2004 Letter
- Open Letter to Superintendents, Citizens and Legislators
- Response to Attacks on Special Ed.
Open Letter to Superintendents, Citizens and Legislators
AUGUST 3, 2004
TO: Washington School Superintendents for Bellingham, Burlington-Edison, Federal Way, Everett, Issaquah, Lake Washington, Northshore, Spokane, Tacoma & others, as interested.
Ms Grace Yuan, Esq., Preston, Gates & Ellis
Dr. Jill Jacoby and Dr. Barbara Mertens, WASA
Dr. Doug Gill, OSPI Special Education Operations
Members of the House K-12 Funding Workgroup and other interested parties
The Washington State Special Education Coalition is a volunteer education advocacy organization that promotes and supports a quality education and the civil rights for students with disabilities in the public schools. We continue to be willing to meet with others to discuss improvements in the current funding system, but find it necessary to make it clear that we do not support litigation that only addresses perceived problems in the special education funding system without addressing the entire K-12 funding system. In addition, we do not support a change in the special education funding system that would take the state back to a funding formula that provided funds based on some category or label.
For further questions, please contact Christie Perkins, WSSEC Public Policy chair (253-588-0637).
The Washington State Special Education Coalition (WSSEC) has continuously fought to ensure that children receiving special education services are considered to be a part of the basic education system. We have further fought to ensure that they be included in every sense, not only instructionally but financially. Any attempt to separate them via a law suit to try to get more money for them and not for all children, only serves to segregate them more and to encourage others to think that the price of equity is too high.
We cannot accept the premise that special education students or any other sub group of students, who are a part of basic education, is the sole reason, or even a major reason, for the under-funding of public education. We believe there is a critical shortage of funds in the basic education allocation and that we should all be working together to increase funds in basic education. This will not only benefit children without disabilities, it will also benefit special education students as a whole. This benefit will be experienced in two ways. First, when there is more money in basic education, special education students benefit by having a better basic education program. Secondly, the funding system provides that special education be funded on a ratio to basic education, therefore, when basic education funds increase, special education funds automatically increase.
We support the fundamental principles that form the underpinnings of the special education funding formula. We believe it is an equitable distribution formula. The Safety Net is a part of the special education funding formula, and, as such, is under constant scrutiny by the WSSEC to ensure that districts can access the funds necessary for their programs. While the Safety Net has experienced several changes in the years since it began, we feel there may be additional changes needed. The WSSEC will continue to evaluate the Safety Net formula, and, where needed, work toward appropriate changes. We believe that any changes necessary can be accomplished without litigation.
Should a suit be filed which serves to separate special education funding from basic education funding, the WSSEC will be forced to intervene.
The history of the development of special education programs has consistently demonstrated that the design of funding formulas has had a direct impact on the segregation and isolation of students receiving special education services. The more discrete and focused the funding system, the more isolated the children became in the special programs that resulted. The consequence of emphasizing funding for some and not for all will be more identification and isolation of those receiving the “special” funding as well as resentment and misunderstanding between groups.
Signed by:
Mary McKnew,Esq.
WSSEC President
Signed by:
William Dussault,Esq.
WSSEC Advisor