The headline on a February opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal couldn’t have been more direct. The article argued that parents and schools in the country’s wealthiest enclaves were exploiting Special Education programs.
“Federal laws intended to accommodate students with learning disabilities have, for years, allowed parents and schools … to game the system by giving unfair advantages to the children of privilege,” it said.
But what if it’s the schools that are actually losing the game in order for children to benefit?
And if schools are indeed gaming the system, they obviously need to take a lesson in math. The numbers say it’s a money-losing proposition.
The Acalanes Union High School District, like other affluent school districts nationwide, has a significantly higher percentage of students in Special Education (21.5%) than the 15% of students in districts nationwide.
But providing such students with services is an expensive, staff-intensive effort that has no financial benefits for districts.
The Acalanes district, for example, spent almost $16 million of its $104 million budget on Special Education services in the 2023-24 school year, with federal and state Special Education revenues covering only about 39% of that.
Which raises two questions: Why do more students take advantage of what’s available in districts like Acalanes? And why would any district choose to spend the extra money?
Leigh Gregory, an Acalanes Union High School District administrator, answers the first question simply: She said that affluent districts – including Acalanes – may simply do a better job of informing parents of the mandatory help the law requires for special needs students.
“We do a lot of community outreach,” said Gregory, director of the Special Education and Auxiliary Services for the district. “We make sure our parents are empowered to support their kids. Our parents are well-informed about their rights.”
As for the second question – why spend the money? Gregory cuts right to the heart of what education is all about.
“Our job is to make sure everyone has access to an education that will help them thrive,” she said. “The important thing to know is that many different conditions can be impairments.”
Although the district is known for high-achieving students (it administered over 6,000 AP exams this spring), Special Education has become a major focus.
In addition to accommodation for students with mild disabilities, the district has built an extensive repertoire of programs to support students with moderate to severe disabilities, ranging from blindness, deafness and significant orthopedic impairment to mental health and intellectual disabilities.
Those programs and accommodations are designed not only to meet these students’ academic needs, but to aid their social integration into school life, and their future ability to live independently.
A team of physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, mental health professionals and language skills experts collaborate with families to develop an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) that maps students’ specific challenges.
At Miramonte, about 10% (123) of students have one.
On a case-by-case basis, Special Education students are assigned to either the Learning Skills classrooms found in each of the district’s schools, or one of the two Essential Skills classrooms located at Acalanes and Miramonte.
Essential Skills are the main Special Education classes for core academics, including history, English, math and science for moderate to severely disabled students. A few of these students also take challenging general education electives – three participated successfully in Miramonte’s highly rated Public Speaking program.
Students assigned to the Learning Skills classrooms can function in general education classes, but often need a higher level of coaching and tutoring to develop better organization, self-advocacy, appropriate use of technology and study skills.
In all, Special Education and Auxiliary Services at the district employs 56 staff members, including teachers, counselors, psychologists, speech/language pathologists, behaviorists and instructional assistants.
All teachers need specific Special Education credentials.
The 13 students in the Miramonte Essential Skills classroom work with six aides. General education students, called Peer Tutors, also volunteer for one period each day and can help students prepare for tests. That one-on-one help is vital.
“Often our kids find it easier to work with peers, and they also get practice with social interactions,” said Asia Becker, who leads the Essential Skills class at Miramonte. “In my classroom alone, we have nine different peer tutors through seven periods.”
Some view these modifications as unfair, giving those students an edge in competing for grades and college admissions.
For example, some students have access to individual and group tutoring, while others get extended test-taking time, front row classroom seats and/or quiet spaces to complete exams.
Controversy stems from how students qualify for these special programs.
While schools have the final say, parents can influence the decision by sharing an independent professional assessment for their children with the school, which gives an advantage to families that can afford outside assessments.
And Miramonte seldom denies applications based on those assessments, so more than 1 in 10 Miramonte students (136 or 11.5%) qualify for special help.
Others, however, see those modifications as part of an effort to make sure all students have a chance to gain the foundational skills they will need to succeed in life.
Gregory thinks that’s what the law intended, so the district’s array of programs for Special Education also emphasizes inclusion and fostering a sense of belonging.
One example is the pioneering Unified Sports Program.
Special Education students and general education students compete together on teams at a varsity level. These activities enjoy the same support and promotion as other school sports, including after-school practices and away and home games. Cheering students pack the gym at all the Unified Sports games.
At the end of the season, there is a varsity letter ceremony for all participants.
Becker, who also serves as Unified Sports athletic director, said she has received numerous inquiries from other schools interested in copying it.
Lupi Beagle, whose son Andrew Beagle is a sophomore and Essential Skills student at Miramonte, said he is thriving in the Special Education program. He excels in sports and gets a big boost when his general education friends show up to cheer for him.
“The Miramonte football team comes to the games to cheer for Andrew,” she said. “It really means something to him to look over at the bench and see his buddies. It gives him a sense of belonging.”
The district also hosts a Special Olympics program annually for 20 schools in the area.
This year it featured such events as wheelchair and regular basketball and numerous track and field events. Contestants walked in the Parade of Athletes with varsity team members.
All of this is in line with the district’s overall goal to prepare every student for a post-secondary life, including providing job skills, Gregory said.
To that end, Miramonte hosts a program called “workability,” where students learn on-the-job skills. Special Education juniors and seniors take retail shifts at local businesses, work in the school cafeteria and learn skills like cooking, food prep and stocking.
Ninth and tenth graders take part in “woof-ability,” a program which involves creating and selling dog treats.
The school’s mission does not end if the student does not graduate. Under California law, a district is responsible for non-graduating Special Education students until they reach the age of 22. For these kids, the Acalanes Center for Independent Studies offers intensive counseling and other support services.
“I love the fact that we believe in incorporating life skills into our classroom academics,” said Gregory. “We want every kid to leave the school able to function in the outside world.”
IDEA the source of AUHSD learning issue programs
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed by Congress in 1975 (and updated in 1990). It affirmed the right of all children to receive a “free appropriate public education regardless of handicap or disability.” The law was a mandate for public schools to provide special education programs to those who qualify.
Congress then broadened the law in 2008 to include any disabilities that “substantially limit a major life activity,” including learning. Not-so-obvious reading and thinking differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety and mild spectrum disorders prevent children from thriving in classrooms and Congress said schools should address these by offering special accommodations to students struggling with these disabilities.
Students whose parents are not attorneys or affluent frequently don’t challenge the services their students receive even when the students continue to struggle.
Administrators and resource providers are also encouraged to keep needy special education needs students within their failing local programs because they are cheaper to the district.