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"This thoughtful
report brings home just how much is expected of schools... Mr. Merrow
proves a good teacher in drawing attention to the difficulties of
making educational policy where children's needs, parents' expectations,
teachers' limitations and school budgets are bound to collide." The
New York Times
"This show examines "mainstreaming" and other special education concepts,
and finds they come up short. It will make a lot of people angry --
another signal of good TV -- as it illuminates an important topic."
The Philadelphia Inquirer |
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"I remember when
I started in this field, seeing rows and rows of disabled kids in
steel beds in despicable institutions in this country. And they were
called state schools, but nobody ever went to school." That's the
'special education' Tom Hehir of the U.S. Department of Education
remembers as common just over 20 years ago. |
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A federal law
passed in 1975 allowing disabled children into regular public schools
changed all that and signaled a revolution in special education. Most
of those 'despicable' institutions closed, and the public schools
now enroll over 5 million special education students, at a price tag
of over $30 billion.
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"What's So
Special About Special Education?" follows two disabled girls through
a year of Denver's public school system to test the progress of special
education: Second grader Darcy Reed has autism. While her abilities
in math and reading are above her peers, her behavior is unpredictable
and, at times, aggressive. |
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Tara Snyder,
in 7th grade, has Down's Syndrome, a form of mental retardation. She
is capable of learning, but teachers seem unprepared to teach her.
Both students are considered "included," a process required by the
legislation to integrate disabled children into regular classes and
activities.
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But does access
to regular classes ensure an equal -- or even adequate -- education?
Twenty-one years after guaranteeing the disabled the right to go to
public school, how well are we educating them? |
