Stuart Egan teaches high school in North Carolina. His son Malcolm was born with Down Syndrome. He is in third grade in public school and is thriving. Stuart helped Malcolm compose this letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos. Malcolm wonders if she cares about kids like him.
The letter starts like this:
“Dear Secretary DeVos,
“My name is Malcolm and I just finished third-grade in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School system. I have vibrant red-hair and blue eyes like my mom, wear cool glasses, have a wicked follow through on my jump shot, and am quite the dancer. My dad also wears glasses, but he does not dance very well nor has much hair. My sister is in high school. She is very smart and she helps me with my homework.
“I also have an extra chromosome because of a condition called Trisomy 21. You may know it as Down Syndrome. It does not define me. It just is, but I do need a little extra help in school and in learning other skills on how to be independent.
“I am having my daddy write this letter for me. He is a teacher in a public high school. In fact, I spend a lot of time at his school going to games and functions. A lot of people know me there like they do at my own school. My having an extra chromosome doesn’t seem to scare them so much because in the end we are all more alike than different anyway.
“But I am worried about some of the things that have happened in public schools since I have started going. I am also worried about how students like me are being treated since you and President Trump have been in office.
“My daddy has noticed you like this thing called “school choice” and that the budget that you and Mr. Trump like puts more money into this. Yet it really seems to have done a lot to weaken public schools like not fully give money to them or give them resources so that all kids in public schools can be successful. It seems that some money went to this thing called “vouchers” and some has been used to help make other types of schools – schools that will not accept me.
“When I got ready to go to school a few years ago, one of my grandparents offered to pay tuition at any school that could help me the most, but none around here would take me because I have a certain type of developmental delay. Doesn’t seem like I had much choice.
“But the public schools welcomed me with open arms. And I am learning because of the good teachers and the teacher assistants. Imagine what could happen if my school could have every resource to accommodate my needs…”
I hope she reads it.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on caffeinated rage and commented:
Malcolm will be thrilled with this! Thanks.
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She won’t read it. She doesn’t care. She has tunnel vision and the only thing she sees is the goal she set to achieve before she lied and took the oath of office for her position in the federal Department of Education.
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Delighted to read your letter. Great things are happening in special education. One of them in school choice/vouchers/Educational Savings accounts. You should see what is happening in Arizona, (and elsewhere in this nation). Families in Arizona (and elsewhere) are able to become “entrepreneurs of their children’s future”, by giving them more control over the direction of their educational spending. This is not robbing money from the public education system, because every time that a student opts-out of the public education system, 10% of the per-pupil spending remains in the public school system.
A blind child in Arizona, got the specialized non-public school instruction, and tutoring, and braille materials, that were not available in the public system, and became the youngest blind person ever to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. He went on to earn a scholarship at Loyola university. And a family in Arizona adopted three special-needs children (Native American children). The family obtained specialized, individualized education/counseling, and the results have been astounding. The public school system was not able to provide for the needs of these children ,so the family opted out, and obtained funding through the Educational Savings Account program.
If the public schools in your area, are providing for your needs, adequately, then I wish you well. I wish all schools everywhere, were meeting the needs of all children, special-needs, and gifted/talented included. Sadly, they are not. According to a national survey, 64% of all public school parents, would dis-enroll their children from their current public school, and enroll them in alternative education, either home-schooling or private/parochial. Clearly, the public education system in the USA, is not meeting the needs of all children, to the extent that they are meeting yours.
read more about it at:
http://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2013/09/09/making_parents_entrepreneurs_for_their_kids_future_642.html
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Politicising children is not good. I would think it close to a form of abuse. When parents feel this way, write the letter, but hiding behind your child?
The whole letter sounds like an adult wrote it – not helped, but originated language, structure etc.
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L. Kinyon, HUH?
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Have you read the letter from the “third grader?”
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“Politicising children is not good.”
Tell that to Trump, DeVos and the rest of the “reformers”.
I do, however, agree with you that it sounds nothing like a child wrote it, especially not a third grader with disabilities. It would have been better for him to just say he’s writing on behalf of his son.
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Which is why I said, “I am having my daddy write this letter for me.”
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“Stuart helped Malcolm compose this letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos.”
Ah, did you read the piece? The above quote was in the first paragraph.
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“Stuart helped Malcolm compose this letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos.”
Did you read the piece? That sentence is in the first paragraph.
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Sorry, I know I’m being nitpicky, but it’s just not really believable that he asked Daddy to write that letter for him. It comes across as 100% you, which is why I say it would have been better if you just would have said you’re writing on behalf of your son.
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You are more than welcome to visit the blog on which I originally posted this letter. I think you might find that if anything, I do not hide behind my child but advocate for him and others in plain view. In fact, you might find that I am very up front and out loud.
And there is that line “I am having my daddy write this letter for me” in the third paragraph.
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Thanks for bringing your situation more out into the open so that more can understand what goes on with many children and their families.
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Great letter. Shines a light on the reality of school “choice.”
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She has no idea what you are talking about. Trump only cares about himself. She won’t read regardless and 45 may not read anything anyway.
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Good thing young smart young man. No money given to Public Schools in Fl. Only Charters which discriminate about english language learners and special need children. G.d bless you!
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Amen, Stuart! I am a woman with Asperger syndrome who teaches students with special needs. We are constantly begging for the right stuff and I will defend my classroom against any move because I feel after 13 years in the public school, I am finally getting the right stuff I need.
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Secretary Devos is proposing expanding a dubious voucher system that is already operating in certain states. It works the following way for Special Ed. students.
1) Special Ed. kid’s parents ask for a voucher to fund their leaving public school and attend an unregulated or very loosely regulated private school;
2) The government gives the parents a voucher, but in exchange, the parents must sign onto an agreement that includes some interesting some fine print — language not noticed at the time by the parents.
3) Parents takes the voucher to some unregulated or very loosely regulated private school, which quickly cashes it while accepting — for the moment, at least — the Special Ed. child for admission, promising to provide for that child all the services and support that are legally required to be provided, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
4) Since, according to IDEA, the Special Ed. child is significantly more costly to educate — including: a separate Special Ed class different than the other classes, a small class size, a smaller ratio of students to teachers/aides, a higher standard and salary legally required for the child’s teacher, etc. — the private school operators then go back on their earlier promises, and fail to provide some or all of those expensive, legally mandated Special Ed. services and educational requirements.
(btw, this reneging could all happen right away, or happen down the line, or happen gradually as time progresses — with a periodic cutting back of services, low class size, etc.)
I mean, c’mon! All this IDEA stuff is sooo expensive, and these private school folks have got a Bottom Line to which they have to answer, after all.
5) The parents complain that the unregulated or very loosely regulated private school operators have reneged on their earlier promises, provided substandard services, and/or have dumped their child into a mainstream class (illegal, given the child’s disability) without providing some or all of IDEA’s legally-required services and support for special ed kids.
Predictably, the child is floundering and struggling. It’s so frustrating and painful that it’s worse than no school at all. The kid would rather stay home.
6) The unregulated or very loosely regulated private school operators reply to the parents, “Look, I know what we promised BEFORE, but this is how we roll, NOW. From here on out, this is all your kid’s gonna get here. Now, if you don’t like it, scram!”
7) PARENTS: “But you promised us … you can’t get away with this … Oh, to Hell with this place. Just give us back our voucher money and let us get our child the hell-outta this place.”
8) PRIVATE SCHOOL: “Good, that kid outta here, because frankly, we don’t want your child here, either, but hey, we’re keeping your voucher cash. We’re legally allowed to do so, and there’s nothing you can to stop us, and nothing that you can do to get that cash back from us.”
9) PARENTS: “Oh no, you’re not. We’re suing you, based on the rights guaranteed to us by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.”
10) PRIVATE SCHOOL: “Ehhh … not so fast. Go back to Step 2), and check out that ’interesting fine print.’ In accepting the voucher money, you signed an agreement that forfeited all your rights to sue under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Since that’s a binding legal agreement, that ends this story .. in favor of us, and to detriment of you.”
In her confirmation hearings, Devos was questioned about this ridiculous requirement mandated for parents of of special ed. kids who use vouchers — that they must waive all their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and Devos ducked the question over and over.
In effect, Devos was and is now siding with those corrupt, unregulated or very loosely regulated private schools, and against the best interests of parents of special ed. kids — much like her siding with corrupt for-profit college operators over the students whom those for-profit college operators have financially victimized …and will continue to victimize in the future.
But hey, what if the parent DOES read —or IS somehow made aware of — that odious fine print that enables this bait-‘n-switch?
Why, that’s where another version of Devos’ beloved philosophy of “choice” comes into play. You parents don’t have to take that strings-attached voucher, the one where you must sign off on your right to sue if your child’s IDEA needs aren’t met. Why, that’s your “choice” — the only one you have in this instance.
Take it or leave it.
PARENTS: “But hey, can’t I have both a voucher, and also retain my right to sue, should the unregulated or very loosely regulated private school fail to meet the standards of the American with Disabilities Act? I mean, that’s the only ‘choice’ that we and pretty much every parent with a disabled child wants.”
Nope, that’s not a “choice” that Secretary Devos and her school privatization allies are offering.
To quote ed blogger Jennifer “Have You Heard?” Berkshire:
“What good is ‘choice’ if you have no control over the choices that you get to choose?”
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Charles
The article confused me. Just how much did parents receive to educate their children at a school that would accept them?
I have taught few children who had an adult family member who did not have to work outside the home. I have known of but one blind student who actually attended a general public school. There are special schools for blind kids.
Arizona is not known for adequately funding schools to provide quality services so I question the anecdotes can be representative.
The parents written about do not represent the average American family. How is Arizona educating and supporting less capable parents in obtaining these services? Is there an agency matching each special needs student to a unique school.?
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