All children deserve access to education in ways that suit their learning abilities. Unfortunately, many parents and children with learning differences or disabilities that affect their learning have a difficult time obtaining the education support needed for them to thrive. Though laws are in place that address special education and the ways that schools should support individualized learning plans, many children are not getting what they need, especially during the pandemic.
It was recently reported that one school district in California is causing parents to have serious concerns about their children’s education when it comes to distance learning. For many students with special needs, using a computer for classes without the assistance they are used to is causing hardships. On top of that, many parents were told that the school district would be cutting special education services, resulting in many students not getting the extra help that they need.
Understandably, the parents feel that the school district is not doing enough to ensure that special education continues as needed and believe that distance learning efforts are not inclusive to those who need special education. For many parents, this situation brings into question whether the school district is complying with the various laws associated with special education. An information officer for the school district said that despite the challenges of distance learning and the concerns it presents, the district continues to offer free appropriate public education for its students.
Parents want their children to receive the best education possible. Unfortunately, California students who need special education services could quickly fall behind without them. Though certain circumstances can easily cause challenges in providing such assistance, it does not mean that school districts can violate legal protections in place regarding those services.