Wrightslaw - The Special Ed Advocate Newsletter, December 8, 1998

The Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about special education legal issues, cases, tactics and strategy, educational methods that work, and Internet links.

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(1) WARNING! Feds Threaten to Cut Off Funds from New York (December 2, 1998)

(2) NEW ARTICLE - "View from the Top: How Principals View Learning Problems."

(3) Karen asks "WHERE ARE THE REGS?"

(1) WARNING: Feds Threaten to Cut Off Funds from New York (December 2, 1998)

"The Federal Government has warned that New York City could lose Federal aid if it continues to shunt disproportionate numbers of black and Latino children into special education."

"This is the second time in two years that the Federal Education Department’s civil rights division has questioned why New York City funnels inordinately large numbers of black and Latino students into special-education classes, which often become holding pens for children who learn nothing and rarely graduate."

"The city is a legitimate target. But . . .

Click here to read the rest of this article

2. NEW ARTICLE - "View from the Top: How Principals View Learning Problems"

This new articles examines school culture and beliefs from the perspective of school principals and found that -

". . . principals shared the prejudices and stereotypes of mainstream society. The principals confused achievement with ability. Most claimed that children with learning problems were "disadvantaged." They believed that "disadvantaged children" were "immature" and "slow learners."

Click here to read the rest of "View from the Top."

3. Karen Asks "WHERE ARE THE REGS???"

ANSWER: Good question, Karen. I'm sorry we don't know the answer.

We'll send an Alert to Special Ed Advocate subscribers as soon as we hear that the new regs have been released.

If you are having problems with your school district, read the Status Report from the U. S. Department of Education issued July 1, 1998. Judy Heumann said -

"States are bound by the statute (IDEA 97) and existing regulations that are not inconsistent with IDEA 97 . . . "

"States [are] expected to conduct monitoring of local School Districts based on the statute and existing regulations that are not inconsistent with IDEA 97 pending publication of the final regulations . . ."

Click here to read the rest of the Status Report