Now is the time for the federal government to fulfill the promise made in 1975 to America’s students to fund IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) at 40% and to provide a free and appropriate education and evaluation of unique learning needs for all children with disabilities.
We are a growing diverse coalition of parents of students with disabilities, disability rights organizations, educator unions, community organizations, and representatives from our respective communities across the US.
We are putting the Federal Government on notice through a “Class Petition for Guidance,” which starts a 90-day countdown for the federal government to respond with meaningful guidance on how school districts can meet the educational needs of students of color with disabilities.
On March 23rd, 2021, a national coalition of parents and educators put the federal government on a 90-day notice. They filed a Class Petition for Guidance with the Department of Education to demand federal guidance by June 21. This is a concrete step to finally follow through on promises made to students with disabilities, made under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and also to ensure that the needs of students who are eligible for supports and services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, along with children who have been traumatized during the pandemic, are not overlooked.
As we recover from the pandemic, it is more important than ever to support special education students and to provide a free and appropriate education and evaluation of unique learning needs for all children with disabilities.
The failure of the federal government to keep the promise of funding IDEA at 40% means school districts across the country must battle each year for the meager federal funds which has pitted special education and general education against each other, when in fact all students benefit from funding the IDEA program.
We also know that both the short-term needs of our children as we return to schools after a devastating pandemic, as well as the sustained, permanent funding of IDEA, must be met. Our communities must be properly funded as we continue to recover from this pandemic that has taken a toll on all our students, but especially our students of color and students in poverty.
We support the remedies requested in the Class Petition for Guidance Documents that was filed by parents, labor unions, and the Advocacy Institute to the Department of Education on March 23, 2021, some of which include:
We are committed to fighting for the necessary resources for our most vulnerable students during this devastating pandemic and as we work towards a new normal where the federal government finally fulfills its promises to our students, schools, and communities.
Report
In 2021, the Center for Civil Rights Remedies at UCLA’s Civil Rights Project took an in-depth look at inequities in districts meeting their legal and moral obligation to education students with disabilities, which must include providing needed mental health services, behavioral supports and educationally sound interventions by well qualified staff.
This report begins by revealing serious preexisting conditions of inadequate support that are likely to be exacerbated by the current pandemic.
Now is the time to provide adequate funding for students with disabilities and protect the civil rights of students of color with disabilities!
In addition to signing our petition, you can support the campaign by downloading a square or rectangle graphic below to use in a social posts.
Use the hashtag #FulfillThePromise and the link FulfillThePromise.net.
Thank you for supporting Fulfill The Promise!