Washington, DC  -  “I love to teach. It is my life's passion, my gift and mission. However, I no longer teach. I attend Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. I fill out paperwork. I write IEPs. I assess students. I fill out functional-behavior assessments. I write behavior plans." 

 

Though the comments come from one teacher, they are the comments that I have heard again and again since I began working with educators to improve the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  The IDEA, which was originally passed in 1975, is best known as the primary federal law that serves children with special needs. As noted on Learning Disabilities Online, IDEA gives children with disabilities access to public schools, and provides students with disabilities educational services, including specialized instruction, as well as related services such as busing to and from school.

While the IDEA has helped to open new doors for many children with special needs since it was enacted 28 years ago, problems do exist. As we prepare to reauthorize the IDEA, the most commonly discussed issues surrounding its future will be improving funding, reducing burdensome paperwork for our teachers and administrators, and addressing discipline and school safety. Only when these challenges are addressed will the IDEA become more useful for those the law was intended to help in the first place – the special education student.

 

You can talk to any educator in Park Hills, Ozark or Risco and they will tell you that one of the first steps that must be taken to improve the IDEA is dealing with the funding issue. In recent years, Congress has taken action to help states and local communities bear the financial burdens imposed by the special education mandate. Since 1995, Congress has increased IDEA funding by more than 220% - an increase significantly larger than under previous Congresses. President Bush's fiscal year 2003 budget, and the budget approved by the House, included an increase of $1 billion for special education, along with a call for Congress to use the funds to begin the process of fixing the program's flaws. While that brings the federal government's contribution to the program to close to 20%, it is still far short of the 40% that was expected and promised when IDEA was first approved.

 

I agree with the President's belief that IDEA must be fully funded and will continue to work toward that goal. I also strongly believe that significant improvements to the system must accompany the new funding to ensure results for students and full support for teachers. One way to lend that support to our teachers is by relieving them of oppressive amounts of paperwork. As some administrators told me during an IDEA forum held earlier this year in Cape Girardeau, the IDEA requires far too much of a paperwork burden and educators often spend more time on paperwork than they do teaching. The House Education Committee has also held several hearings on this issue. They heard stories of good special education teachers leaving the profession in frustration because of onerous and cumbersome regulatory mandates. Our students don’t need to lose teachers, they need teachers who have the time to spend on lesson plans, grading papers and other classroom preparation. Those things – not dotting every i and crossing every t – will make a difference in the lives of our children.

 

While increasing funding and relieving our teachers of some of the ridiculous regulatory nightmares are essential to IDEA reform, improvements to the program will not be complete until discipline issues are addressed. As many teachers have reported, under the IDEA, they feel their hands are tied when it comes to maintaining order in their classrooms. Others have questioned whether discipline provisions in IDEA are sufficient to ensure every child in every school is educated in a safe environment. I believe these are very important reforms for Congress to address as we consider IDEA reauthorization and look forward to learning more about what educators, parents and officials feel would be in the best interest of all children.

 

One way to make sure the IDEA works for the kids in our area is to become involved in the future of special education.  In an effort to offer all stakeholders the opportunity to share their input and ideas, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce has launched a web-based initiative where you can log on and share your thoughts.  Dubbed the “Great IDEAs” website, the first of its kind project has allowed an unprecedented ability for the special education community, parents and others to give direct input to the legislative process.  So far, the Committee has received more than 2,000 responses and you can add your thoughts by logging onto http://edworkforce.house.gov/.

Robert Maynard Hutchins, an educator and former President of the University of Chicago once wrote “The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.” We can help every child prepare for the rest of their lives, but we must all work together. That begins with improving the IDEA for future generations so that all children can realize the potential that exists inside of each and every one of them.