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Mind the Gap: Serving students with special needs despite federal shortages
The U.S. Department of Education estimates that approximately 7.6 million children aged 3 through 21 with disabilities were served through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in Fiscal Year 2022. The number of special needs children eligible for services under IDEA has risen faster than the growth rate of the general population. Nevertheless, in […]
To share or not to share is the referendum question
Public school referendum sharing could be one of the hottest educational topics of the 2023 General Assembly session. While school funding is always complicated, the notion of sharing referendum dollars is especially tricky and warrants some tedious study time in order to fully understand the decision legislators are being asked to make. On the surface […]
Innovation on behalf of first-generation college students
I am a first-generation college student. Two generations of my family worked extremely hard to get me to college. I remember watching my grandmother study every night at the kitchen table to earn her GED while I was in high school. I am proud to be the beneficiary of their efforts and hope to honor […]
School nurses are an essential component to academic recovery in the post COVID-era
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s recent report on public health in Indiana shared one major finding that impacts Indiana schools in a big way — the need for more certified school nurses across the state. That report said school corporations in Indiana are required to employ at least one bachelor’s level registered nurse, and one registered nurse […]
Keeping criminals out of classrooms
The teacher shortage is devastating schools and families across the country According to Dr. David Bateman, a professor at Shippensburg University, “The talent pipeline has literally dried up. This is the new normal. We are expecting this drought for at least the next five years because the well has completely run dry. There are no […]
A New Era of Student Safety: Closing Loopholes
When most of us think of school safety, we are flooded with images of school shootings and metal detectors. Typically, we think of school as a safe space and any safety issues that may exist will come from external threats. The reality is there are less sensationalized threats that schools must navigate. Recent policy changes […]
The Special Education Teacher Shortage: An All Hands on Deck Approach
Special education is a set of federal mandates that schools are required to follow to ensure that student with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. Currently special education services are federally funded at 40% and schools are held accountable at 100%. This funding gap has long plagued the field and manifests itself in […]