Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

The Self-Interested Tactics of Some Advocacy Groups

October 14, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

Regarding your Sept. 17, 2008, front-page story “In Advocacy Realm, Specific Disabilities Gain in Prominence”:

Advocacy groups for many of the new “specific disabilities” are using the mantle of genetic authority to justify questionable expenditures of public money toward supports for so-called disabilities that belong in the realm of private health care. Several of these new groups seem more like jobs programs for nongovernmental-organization careerists and unemployed mental-health professionals than useful extensions of U.S. education or medical policy.

Public education, in particular, should not be used as the back door through which all manner of noneducational programs can be funded out of scrutiny of the legislative process. The fact that these special-interest groups and their guiding lights in academia are using such methods speaks volumes about their intent.

Alan Hull

Conyers, Ga.

A version of this article appeared in the October 15, 2008 edition of Education Week as The Self-Interested Tactics of Some Advocacy Groups

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz Are You Keeping Up With Trump’s Big Changes to K-12 Funding? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Is Trump Changing School Discipline Rules? Take This Week’s Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 30, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz What Is Trump’s New AI Plan for K-12 Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of tasks assisted with AI.
Canva