Parents of a child with disabilities are applauding a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that says a parent no longer needs to ask the question of what qualifies as an appropriate public education for their child.
The Supreme Court rendered a decision last month that outlines the link between public education and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The ruling deals specifically with the obligations of schools and what they must do to comply with the ADA by providing free appropriate public education to students with disabilities and to provide individualized education programs, or IEPs.
The Supreme Court and their clear unanimous decision … said that minimal progress of a child is not enough and the decision raised the bar for what IEPs must do to meet the needs of students
WGBH interviewd Ed Bosso, the executive director and superintendent of Educational Programs at Perkins School for the Blind. Bosso also has a young daughter with vision loss.
Bosso says, “the Supreme Court and their clear unanimous decision… said that minimal progress of a child is not enough and the decision raised the bar for what IEPs must do to meet the needs of students.”
According to NPR, the decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District could have far-reaching implications for the 6.5 million students with disabilities in the United States.
The case centered on a young Colorado child with autism who received annual IEPs in the Douglas County School District from preschool through fourth grade. But by fourth grade, Endrew’s parents believed his academic and functional progress had stalled. The parents removed him, placed him in a specialized private school and sought to have the district reimbursement for Endrew’s private school tuition.
While Bosso says he understands the lack of funding in school districts across the country is an issue, he says, "the discussion starts with the child's needs first and then we look at the child's needs and then we should base our decisions based on that putting the child first. And I believe that if we do that and we do it with good reason then we'll arrive at the right place and the funding is not what parents should be fighting about."
The Supreme Court decided with the family in an 8-0 decision, which means schools must give students with disabilities an appropriate education that allows for meaningful progress.
To listen to the interview with Ed Bosso, from Perkins School for the Blind, and WGBH's Bob Seay, click on the audio link above.
