At Meeting, Parents Voice Opposition to State’s Proposal to Alter Special Education
By Lauren Roth, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.
May 29–NORFOLK — More than 125 parents, educators and advocates for the disabled turned out for a hearing Wednesday night at Norview High School to protest possible changes to state special education regulations.
Many were upset with state Department of Education proposals to reduce the control parents would have over services provided to their children. Under the new regulations, schools could cut off special education for a child without the agreement of parents.
Cynthia Mosley is the mother of a disabled 8 -year-old who attends Grassfield Elementary in Chesapeake.
“I am not just Noah’s mother,” she said. “I’m also his nurse, teacher and advocate 24 hours a day. I do not wish to relinquish my rights.”
Mosley said that for the past two years, she has had to fight to keep physical and occupational therapy part of the plan for her son, who uses switches and eye gaze to communicate. He has a seizure disorder, cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
If the proposed plan were to be in effect, they would have had little recourse, she said.
The changes were spurred by updates to the federal law governing special education, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
“There are areas where, traditionally, Virginia has exceeded federal requirements,” said state Department of Education spokesman Charles Pyle. “This was an opportunity to look at those and make recommendations to come more in line with the federal regulations.”
The proposed changes also would affect procedures on discipline, transfer students and planning for the transition to life after high school. They would reduce the number of progress reports required for special education students and would narrow the diagnosis of developmental delays to children from ages 2 to 5, instead of from 2 to 8.
The Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy, which serves people with disabilities, has called the proposed regulations troubling because of their effect on parental rights. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine also wrote a letter to the state Board of Education in March voicing reservations about changes to parental consent and progress reports.
So far, the state has received more than 5,000 comments, Pyle said.
The Norfolk hearing was the sixth of nine the Department of Education is holding around the state to solicit public opinion. Comments will be accepted until June 30. Any changes will have to be approved by the Board of Education, probably this fall.
At Wednesday’s hearing, 53 people signed up to speak.
Nearly all spoke out against multiple changes, including Norfolk School Board member Stephen W. Tonelson. He said the board believes the changes could lower standards statewide. But there is disagreement, even within school systems.
Norfolk Public Schools’ senior director of special education services spoke in support of the changes.
“School systems should not be required to provide services to children who do not need them,” Joan H. Anderson said.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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