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Originally Posted By anstee@chesapeake.net

Why are so many people negative about "special education"? It is there for a purpose and altho many of the children who are in foster care and/or in the process of being adopted won't need it their total education experience, it can be a real benefit in helping them maintain their academic grades during times of change/trauma. IEP's are designed to focus the child's needs/abilities not to allow them to escape current grade levels. If all of the children in the schools were tested, it would become evident that most of them are not at grade level vs. just the special ed kids who are continuously tested being off-grade level! Special education for many years was only for behavior problems and altho they do exist most of your special education students in today's society are those requiring extra services not just behavior situations and those behavior situations don't last long in special education anymore at the regular schools - they are identified and placed where necessary. I have children in both regular and special ed placements and neither is better nor worse. And ... FOR INFORMATION most private schools do have special education available ... their students requiring extra services are receiving them partial time from the nearest located public program! Don't give special education a bad name! It deserves all the respect they earn and they earn lots of it - especially the teachers - they do so much for kids needing them - both short and long term!!!!!!