Tuesday, February 10, 2009

To: Arne Duncan, From: Special Needs

Special needs advocates want U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to take a look at "rolling out long-awaited regulations for educating young children and cracking down on the use of restraints and seclusion as school disciplinary measures," Education Week reports [free subscription required and well worth it].

Rules for infants and toddlers with special needs, No Child Left Behind testing regulation, and "seclusion tactics" for disruptive students are all on the want list. One official, Nancy Reder, deputy executive director for governmental relations for National Association of State Directors of Special Education, thought well of early meetings with Duncan.

“The number-one thing, and Duncan has already done it, is [offer] access ... We really felt that there was no opportunity to be heard by the previous administration."
Special needs transportation does not appear on the wish list as mentioned in the article. But what, if any, issues should be before Duncan?