Charter Schools Welcome Special Needs
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The June 27 Metro story "Special-Ed Problems Continue in District" quoted a federal court monitor as saying that some D.C. public charter schools discourage students with special needs from applying. But the statistic cited later to support this assertion is inaccurate.
In fact, 10 percent of District public charter school students are special-needs students, compared with 13 percent for the city-run public schools -- not 23 percent, as the story said -- according to the 2008 audit undertaken for the District's Office of the State Superintendent of Education. This percentage difference exists even though only one D.C. public charter school is exclusively devoted to the education of children with special needs, compared with six in the city-run school system.
Many public charter schools provide more intimate learning environments, developing stronger bonds among students, teachers and parents. This allows charters to avoid the unfortunate habit in too many urban public school systems of classifying students as having "special needs" when in reality the school is simply unable to meet the students' needs adequately in the regular program.
Nonselective by law -- unlike some city-run public schools -- D.C.'s public charter schools are serving a share of special-needs students that is similar to that of the traditional public schools. By more closely meeting their students' diverse, individual needs, many charters serve them better.
JULIE CAMERATA
Executive Director
DC Special Education Co-Operative
Washington
