THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505200099
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Summer-school criteria hurt special-ed students
At a recent meeting of the Special Education Advisory Committee, which consists of parents, interested citizens and educators, with Mr. Robert Mitchell, who heads the Virginia Beach school district's Office of Programs for Exceptional Children, Mr. Mitchell announced the district's criteria for summer school for special-education chil-dren.
The criteria will require the child's teachers to certify that the child has been unable to meet the child's educational goals set forth in his/her Individual Education Plan but that in the teacher's opinion the child will meet these goals in the four weeks of summer school.
This will, in effect, deny summer school to the majority of special-education students. The Office of Programs for Exceptional Children is asking teachers to say that even though they could not teach the objective in one year, another teacher will be able to teach it in four weeks.
I have three students currently enrolled in the Virginia Beach public schools. My older two students are academically gifted. They both attend Old Donation Center and have benefited from the after-school programs and summer-enrichment programs for gifted students. This summer will be no exception for them.
However, my youngest child, who is a special-education student, will not be allowed to attend summer school because she does not meet the criteria. Of all my children, she is the one who can benefit most from a summer program. Next year will be a difficult one for her because of the long summer gap.
If I had known that the summer-school criteria for special-education students were to be changed, I would have asked for an extended school year on her Individual Educational Plan this year, but now it is too late.
It is important to consider carefully the effect of no summer school on our special-education students. We cannot equate the needs of our special-education students with those of gifted or regular education. Fair does not always mean equal.
Elizabeth Higgins
Reynolds Drive < by CNB