On the Special Ed programs and budgets, I heard much the same working on the local budget issues. But no one had an answer. Every one I talked with recognized the need for special programs for students with those needs and that such programs are costly. No one could come up with a better way.
As for lawsuits, I heard that claim, too. Asked around, very informally. It is a problem and more of a problem than, I don't know, say twenty years ago. But that strikes me as something not about schools but just about the way things have changed in the society at large. In fact, given that, I was struck by the few number of actual suits. I asked about a few stories of suits. When you dug deep enough, the stories were much worse than the actual details. However, it seemed apparent that in public schools like those of my little boro, it was, just as in higher education, the fear of suits which drove things much more than the actuality.
And that's quite frequently, a function of bad legal advice. At my previous place of employment we went through a period in which legal counsel basically changed the character of education out of such fears. You can imagine all the things that could possibly result in suits--science labs, field trips, engineering design work, the list is almost endless.
He was eventually fired; new folk were brought in. And the message was, please, just go about your business, we'll take care of the legal issues. So, to some large degree it's bad legal advice. |
