Parents Oppose Special-Ed 'Inclusion'

Special-education advocates, however, said the school system will have a challenge convincing parents of disabled students that the proposal has merit. They predict that many parents will fight the order, costing the school system more in legal fees.

"The quality of instruction and the quality of therapy being offered in the school system is not as good as the quality that their private school counterparts have," said Kim Y. Jones, executive director of Advocates for Justice and Education Inc., a support organization for parents of special-education children.

"There is a real fear of regression" among students who return to the system, she added. "We've had that happen."

An example of the type of battle Janey faces is being played out at Hamilton. This year, Janey was considering a proposal to relocate about 120 mainly emotionally disturbed children from Hamilton to nearby Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School. But he put the proposal on hold after encountering opposition from Hamilton parents and Ludlow-Taylor teachers.

"I do not have a degree in special education; I have a degree in elementary education," said a Ludlow-Taylor teacher, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation from the principal. "I wouldn't have the first clue on how to handle those children. It's not fair for the teachers or that poor child."

Jackie Pinckney-Hackett, a special-education advocate who has been involved in the dispute at Hamilton and Ludlow-Taylor, said the teachers are "violating the students' civil rights by not allowing them to come over." Federal laws require schools to give disabled students the same educational opportunities as their non-disabled peers.

"To me, it looks like you don't want a bunch of [emotionally disturbed] students in your school," added Pinckney-Hackett, a school board candidate. "I'm not going to stand for that."

Francisco Millet, a regional superintendent who oversees Ludlow-Taylor, said the controversy points out that much more community planning and teacher training are needed before the school system launches into the inclusion model citywide.

"It's forced us to realize we have to sit down and talk to all the stakeholders and have an honest discussion before we go forward," he said.