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I just learned about a bill, HB2427, at the #AZLeg that I wanted to talk about, and why I, as a special needs parent, support it.
First, a brief explainer. When your child has special needs they are entitled to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). In my child& #39;s case, at his 1st school in Kinder a few years ago, we weren& #39;t sure we had the right fit and looked into open enrollment midway through the year.
I spent hours researching open enrollment. We were public school people. I wasn& #39;t even looking at private schools then. I talked to other moms & heard about many different schools w/ different curricula & class sizes, many of which sounded like they could be a better fit.
I arranged to attend a tour at the first school. It was amazing. Smaller class sizes (perfect for ADHD!), adorable outdoor art area, specialized science/tech labs, wiggle chairs in every class. It all seemed TAILOR MADE for my son.
My heart sank. If you don& #39;t understand why, let me explain. Under current law, the school would have the option to determine whether seats *and* resources were available for my child.
Evaluating his IEP meant one additional hurdle that neurotypical children do not have when choosing a school through open enrollment.
Having one more hurdle for kids with special needs, who have already gone through the IEP process, who get therapies & accommodations in school already, working hard to keep up with their classmates on a daily basis as it is, hardly seems fair.
If anything maybe kids with IEPs should be at the TOP of the list for open enrollment. But I digress.
I was frightened off by that. That& #39;s on me. It was mid-year and I thought, let& #39;s just see how the rest of the year goes.
HB2427 would level the playing field for kids with a 504 or IEP who wish to participate in open enrollment. And I love that idea.
HB2427 would level the playing field for kids with a 504 or IEP who wish to participate in open enrollment. And I love that idea.
If you& #39;d like to read more from another parent who is an amazing advocate for inclusion and a true expert in this field, my friend and former colleague @azkarla wrote the commentary below about the bill. https://www.redefinedonline.org/2021/05/commentary-prioritize-students-not-programs-when-legislating-open-enrollment-2/?fbclid=IwAR3ZcOGPUSXCUkjzS9BpnOajCFBbJ92sN8bg5qG_vWsIPbPh3VqHZlUOYpI">https://www.redefinedonline.org/2021/05/c...
(Don& #39;t miss the internally linked op-ed from the Capitol Times either, by Veronica Ragland. Her neurotypical daughter was accepted by 3 schools for open enrollment; her daughter with special needs: rejected by all three.) https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2021/02/19/public-school-open-enrollment-needs-to-be-truly-open/">https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2021...
