Does school choice help children with disabilities, or might they be left behind? This study finds that during the 2002-3 school year, 11.6 percent of Texas public school children were enrolled in special education programs; statewide there was an average of just over $3,900 in additional spending per special education student last year. The author finds that the available evidence on school voucher programs establishes that private schools are willing to serve special needs students and are already doing so in existing voucher programs, including one of the nation’s largest voucher programs (the McKay Scholarships in Florida), which were designed exclusively for disabled students. Far from an impediment to the implementation of a more generally applicable choice program, choice represents a vital opportunity to aid the education of students with disabilities.
SBOE Workgroups Announced: The Final Fight for Texas History
The workgroup numbers for the Texas State Board of Education are finally out, and they reveal a historic milestone for our state’s education system. As the SBOE moves toward the completion of this monumental process, it is clear that they have assembled a team with more history experts and more frontline Texas teachers than ever...