Articles

**Articles focusing on children with disabilities and their families. Children with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. ** [] Published October 27, 2007 The New York Times This article from the New York Times concerns the government paying for private schooling of students with disabilities. It centers on the LaPierre family. Jack, David and Kim LaPierre’s son, has autism. His parents sue the school district in Springfield, N.J. to recover the expenses of their son’s private schooling. This article focuses on whether the government is responsible for paying tuition for students who have disabilities and attend private school if the public school district in which they reside has insufficient facilities and resources.
 * Disabilities Fight Grows as Taxes Pay for Tuition **

The information in this article specifically relates to my teaching. I plan to be working in the private school sector once I graduate and this directly affects the types of students that I will encounter in the classroom. It is important as a future educator to remain conscious of legislature and funding for students with disabilities. The large amount of fund from the government to cover these students’ expenses is no small matter. It greatly affects school budgets and funding in each school district. If Schools Fail, Don’t Blame Disabled Students ** [] The New York Times - Opinion Published: September 29, 1994 The article begins by stating that the Committee of Economic Development does not think that graduates are ready to enter the business world and they blame it on “inclusion (the practice of educating students with disabilities within regular classrooms).” The rest of the article refutes this claim. The opposed argue that very few schools (at that time) practiced inclusion. Inclusion has even aided the overall achievement of students in a class. It prepares students with disabilities for work and has been shown to have a positive effect on their peers. Schools that poorly manage their affairs typically manage the education of those with special needs in a similar fashion. The solution, as deemed by the article, is to reform schools, scale down on bureaucracies, get parental involvement, and adjust the amount resources to the appropriate level for all students. This article relates to the profession I am entering. Many have argued that inclusion does not benefit the majority of those in the classroom. Articles like these motivate me to research and find supporting details about inclusion. This article was published over a decade ago and it is easy to see how opinions and views have changed throughout society. However, there are still those that argue on both sides. I want to be able to adequately defend and support the best possible education for all my students; not just the majority. [] Written by: Jennifer Medina Published: June 26, 2007 New York Times – Region This article goes in-depth to discuss the implementation of inclusion in New York schools. It explains that the state and city of New York still has a lot to do to reduce the segregation of disabled students. “‘With the proper supports and adequate resources, all of our children can reach high standards, graduate and move on to college and meaningful work,” said Kathy A. Ahearn, the state’s acting commissioner of education.” The states standardized test scores for the disabled are still relatively poor. Fewer special education students were performing at the bottom level, but the increase is modest. The article also states that black and Native America students are regularly misclassified into special education programs. This article relates to the work I plan to do as a teacher. I understand that we are in a time of change. Inclusion is found in almost all schools. However, to misclassify students into the special education programs is not acceptable. Teachers must understand the needs of their students and where exactly those students are coming from. Knowing a student’s home life, prior knowledge and background is essential to reaching and brining progress to a student academically through school.
 * 
 * Special Ed Students in City Lag in Entering Mainstream **