Our story this week featured a family that struggled to get the best education for their special needs daughter. It took the help of a lawyer from the University of Michigan's Pediatric Advocacy Clinic to get the school district to agree to put the young girl in a general ed classroom instead of a self-contained classroom for severely disabled children.
We got a number of responses after the story ran, mostly from parents who have also had trouble getting a "free and appropriate public education" for their children as defined by federal law. Here are a few of the comments left on Michigan Radio's Facebook page:
"Yep, Michigan Center schools has dragged feet with my son. Finally had the doc put in a call to the superintendent."
"Yes! I hired an advocate!"
"YES and it was Okemos Public Schools, thought by many to be the best around. Not so!"
We've heard from parents. Now we want to hear from TEACHERS. What is it like to have 30 kids in a classroom, including some with special needs? What kind of special education training did you get in school? Do you think you were adequately prepared to teach children with disabilities in a general ed classroom?
Take our brief State of Opportunity survey and let us know!
