Betsy Devos is a Danger to Special Education
Betsy DeVos moved one step closer to becoming the new U.S. secretary of education this morning when the Senate committee voted 12-11 along party lines to send her nomination to the Senate floor. Two of the 12 Republican senators said they remain undecided, suggesting that her confirmation is not assured.
The six million students with disabilities in public schools around the country have the most to lose if Betsy DeVos expands for-profit charters and private-school vouchers nationwide. At the Senate confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan, whose son Ben has cerebral palsy, eloquently summed up the dangers that lie ahead for our special-needs students.
To understand why special-needs students are at greater risk, you have to understand how charter schools and vouchers operate. Private and charter schools are not bound to take all students, and the data shows that with the exception of schools whose mission it is to serve students with special needs, private schools and charter schools do not enroll students with disabilities in numbers equal to traditional public schools. Incredibly, some voucher programs require students with disabilities to forfeit their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act if they accept a voucher for a private school. That law requires that public schools provide a free and appropriate education to all children with disabilities.
We must protect the rights of our students with disabilities.
Tell your senators to oppose DeVos » https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/ DO IT NOW!!!
And then share the link with your friends and family in states with Republican senators because that is where we need to apply the pressure.
Sincerely,
Carmen Alvarez UFT Vice President for Special Education
