re: Federal Judge Okays New Orleans Charter School Rejection Of Student With Special Needs

Jim

I think you have it right. The unusual charter driven setup of NOLA schools really wasn’t designed to fit with the IDEA and it was only a matter of time before a suit like this was going to be litigated . Options exist for parents of kids with disabilities and opinions differ on how good they are. We went the private route and did our best. Raising a kid with a disability is excruciatingly hard, with resources more limited in Louisiana than other places.

On balance, I am glad the judge didn’t take the view that a single charter had to provide a FAPE as I don’t see how highly selective schools (mainly Lusher/Willow and Franklin) could continue to succeed like they have.

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Imagine being the dirtbag parent, trying to force an institution into taking you child, which truly doesnt belong there.

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I have a front row seat to a very similar situation. A severely disabled student is enrolled in a public high school SPED. The mom has argued and threatened the school to have the student in a higher functioning level of class than she should be in. The school has accommodated her request and put the student with students that DO have the ability to learn, albeit very limited, they can and DID have a learning environment for them. This student has changed that. She requires 100% individualized attention. Her behavior has severely impacted the entire class due to limited resources. It’s lose lose lose for everyone involved.