Opinion

Stop burning NY’s special-ed dollars

It’s time to shake up New York’s shameful special-education system — and the way to do it is with a school-choice program for students with special needs and other disabilities.

A recent audit by the city Comptroller’s Office found that many city special-ed students, especially those in poor districts, aren’t getting the services to which they are entitled. Even the city Department of Education acknowledges that the waiting period for special-needs services is too long. Similar complaints are voiced all across the state.

Vast amounts of public money are spent in the name of special education; it’s time to see that the benefits actually flow to the kids this cash is supposed to help.

Four years ago, when I was in the state Assembly, I drafted legislation to allow parents of special-needs or learning-disabled student who are dissatisfied with their child’s educational progress in a public school to obtain a state voucher for the child to attend an alternative public or nonpublic school.

I couldn’t get very far with the bill; I guess it threatened too many interests. But it’s still a good idea.

Right now, parents of special-needs kids regularly have to wage long, expensive legal battles with school districts to get their children’s due; with vouchers, unhappy parents would have an easy, fast alternative. The reform would also force neighborhood public schools to better meet the needs of these children — or lose them to another school.

New York City’s need for such a program is acute. We now have a wealth of “niche” public schools — for math and science, entrepreneurship, media arts and much more — but no traditional public school has thought to market itself specifically to the needs of special-education students. Only the Opportunity Charter School in Harlem is focused on serving these kids.

Nonprofits have tried to fill the gap. Since 2007, the New York City Charter School Center’s Special Education Collaborative has worked to improve special education at charters. And YAI (a nonprofit network serving people with disabilities and their families) and the Manhattan Jewish Community Center sponsor a popular annual special-needs school fair that is a great resource for parents.

But that’s nowhere near enough.

Under a voucher program, traditional public schools, public-charter schools and nonpublic schools would compete for special-needs students, raising the number of certified special-education teachers and improving the services available.

The State Education Department would establish the eligibility of nonpublic schools and ensure that they’re using the funds appropriately, as it does now.

And it wouldn’t cost any more than we now spend, because localities already must offer special-ed services to all children, including those attending private schools.

Vouchers would match the cost of the education that localities would have provided eligible students. Plus, local school districts would retain responsibility for student-transportation services.

There are no constitutional questions involved, either, because the purpose is secular. New York already provides special-ed services to students enrolled in private and religious schools.

Financially assisting parents in choosing any school that meets these special needs is not only the right policy, but also the best way of empowering parents to take charge of their child’s academic future.