Special Education News in Brief

After Three Decades, Spec. Ed. Suit Settled

By Nirvi Shah — September 25, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A nearly 30-year-old lawsuit over special education services in Baltimore has finally been settled.

Vaughn G., et al. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore was filed in 1984 by the Maryland Disability Law Center as a way to address delayed evaluations for students with disabilities under the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

In response, the 84,000-student Baltimore district agreed to find ways to eliminate the delays and improve special education overall. But for years, the district failed to meet any of the deadlines agreed to in the original consent decree.

In March 2010, Baltimore entered into a settlement agreement in the suit, which the district called a probationary period. The city had to continue providing special-needs students with services, give them support in obtaining a regular education, and work to reduce the numbers of such students suspended each year during that time.

“The probationary period is now over,” the district announced in a statement Sept. 20. The case “is officially closed.”

A version of this article appeared in the September 26, 2012 edition of Education Week as After Three Decades, Spec. Ed. Suit Settled

Events

School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
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
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

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

Special Education Schools Lag in IDing Kids Who Need Special Education. Are They Catching Up?
Schools in one state are making progress addressing a pandemic-fueled backlog of special education identifications.
5 min read
Illustration of a young girl with hands on her head, having difficulty reading with scrambled letters on the pages of an open book.
iStock/Getty
Special Education 3 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Learning Differences
A researcher, a teacher, and a student all weigh in: What do you wish all teachers knew about students with learning differences?
3 min read
Photograph showing a red bead standing out from blue beads on an abacus.
iStock/Getty
Special Education How Special Education Might Change Under Trump: 5 Takeaways
Less funding and more administrative chaos could be on the horizon—but basic building blocks like IDEA appear likely to remain.
7 min read
Photo of teacher working with hearing-impaired student.
E+
Special Education The Essential Skill Students With Learning Differences Need
Schools must teach students with learning differences how to communicate about their needs.
4 min read
Vector illustration of three birds being released from a cage.
iStock/Getty