With their increased autonomy and flexibility, charter schools can be a promising educational option for students with disabilities. However, during the inception of the charter movement, very few people were focused on ensuring that charter school policies addressed the needs of students with disabilities.
In response to persistent challenges associated with ensuring that New Orleans’ families and students with disabilities can access high-quality supports and services across the city’s uniquely decentralized, all-charter school system, The Center for Learner Equity (CLE) sought to understand the root causes of these challenges and surface viable systemic solutions through in-depth interviews with local stakeholders.
As an advocate for students with disabilities and charter schools, I am appalled at the current situation at Franklin Towne Charter High School and urge the Philadelphia School Board to pursue steps to close the school due to discriminatory practices dating back to 2016.
While CLE is not advocating for the IDEA to be amended during the current Congress, we do believe that, at the appropriate time, Representative Molinaro’s bill would be a big step in the right direction in making sure that parents of students with disabilities are able to meaningfully participate in the IEP process.
On July 24, 2023, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education (US ED) released a Dear Colleague letter (DCL) and lengthy guidance related to the responsibilities states have to oversee the education of students with disabilities in their schools and to ensure that those students are afforded all of their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Read about why this matters and how it impacts charter schools in the full report.
Given the Oklahoma Virtual Charter School Board’s decision to approve the charter application of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, we at the Center for Learner Equity feel it is imperative to reinforce that charter schools are public schools that must be accessible and inclusive for students with disabilities and, we believe, must be non-sectarian.
Check out the recap of our March 2023 social media campaign for “Enabling Meaningful Inclusion: Lessons from School Leaders”.
CLE supports ban opposing the use of corporal punishment in all public schools by passing the Protecting All Students in Schools Act.
“Enabling Meaningful Inclusion: Lessons from School Leaders” explores how various school districts across the country intentionally create learning environments for students with disabilities.
The circumstances are sobering and unacceptable: Students are being suspended and expelled from American public schools at an alarming rate. Even worse, students with specific profiles are consistently and disparately subjected to exclusionary discipline in much higher numbers. CLE’s Paul O’Neil explores the nuances of informal discipline in today’s schools. Read Subterranean Discipline Brief HERE
