John Davis, Region 8 Webmaster shares his latest Trump Signs Executive Order to dismantle the Department of Education in the latest attack on the working class…
Perhaps the students at most risk with the dismantling of the Department of Education would be special needs students. The Department of Education enforces the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides services to students with learning disabilities. About 15% of all students nationwide receive additional services, such as special education for dyslexia, speech and language disorders, and other health impairments such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Special Needs teachers and aides are funded for schools all across the country through the Department of Education. Trump has hinted he would like to change this funding to “block grants” for parents so they could “use the money as vouchers for private schools.” Essentially, the plan will leave states on their own to fund special needs education. In that situation, one of two things will occur. First, states will cut
special needs teachers and aides. In that scenario, special needs students would receive less individualized attention. This would place additional responsibility on traditional classroom teachers to provide the extra services while reducing individualized attention for the remainder of the class. The other option would be for states to continue the current level of special needs services. All states are facing funding shortages in education budgets as it is. With sales tax being a major source of funding, the slowing economy will only reduce the amount available. To cover the additional cost of the special needs programs, states will be forced to reduce traditional classrooms, raising the classroom sizes for all students. All education data shows a direct correlation between class size and student achievement.
