Catalyst Chicago, an independent news magazine that reports on Chicago Public Schools, has produced an article that outlines Secretary of Education-designate Arne Duncan’s role in special education.
The reporters of the piece say that special education in Chicago is “dismal.” Unfortunately, I have to say that it is not surprising to me that an urban district would be having severe problems providing appropriate services for its students in special education. The question, of course, is what Duncan tried to do to fix the situation, or if he instituted policies that have made things worse. Based on the information presented in the article, it appears that the gap between special education students and general education students has widened over Duncan’s 7-year-tenure.
After my post asking for information about Duncan and special education, I’ve gotten a few emails that have suggested some people in Chicago I should contact for further information. I look forward to doing so and will be posting what I learn, so stay tuned...