MOM of 22 YEAR OLD QUADRIPILEGIC SUES NYC DOE for DIPLOMA SHAM

Current Issue 1 Article: Disabled girl wins round on ed funds Authors: BY THOMAS ZAMBITO and ERIN EINHORN Publication Date: July 5, 2006Source: Daily News https://mail.nycboe.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/432531p-364484c.html Summary: MOM of 22 YEAR OLD QUADRIPILEGIC SUES NYC DOE for DIPLOMA SHAM Alba Sonoma joined School of the Future in 1993 after her twin sister asked Bill Clinton why Alba could not attend the same school as her during a television press conference. Alba and her twin sister were both born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. However, Anastasia is able to speak using normal speech. Anastasia was admitted to general education while her sister Alba, who communicates through tapping, attended a school for Special Ed students. Both girls graduated with honors and headed to college. Anastasia excelled in Georgetown College while it became obvious that Alba was not academically fit when enrolled at Queens College. In accordance with IDEA which requires that students receive suitable education at no cost until the age of 21 Mrs. Sonoma petitioned that Alba 18 receive remediation to get her back on track. The state provided the remediation at a 1.2 million dollar cost. Now at age 22 Alba reads at the 4th grade level. The state refused to provide 2 years of additional remediation as requested by Mrs. Sonoma citing that they have met their obligation and are not required by law to provide any additional education. Mrs. Sonoma is suing the NYC DOE on the grounds that Alba graduated with honors but could only read at the 4th grade level and acquired ‘A’ equivalent grades in classes that she never attended. Importance and Reflection: Referencing today’s class discussion, while NCLB requires that all children receive equal education, however there is evidence that educators have not held students with disabilities as academically accountable as general education students. Andrew gave a good example when he shared with the class of how he witnessed a student known for high absence rates and frequent outbursts receive a diploma with gladness notwithstanding the fact that her academic performance was evidently lacking. The above article highlights this problem from a global perspective. It is plainly clear that a problem with academic accountability exists in special education and yet this ‘hot topic’ continues to miss the radar of higher education officials. As stated by Dr. McPherson, it is important that ‘we’ become advocates for diverse learners. They are more often the minority and we lend them a voice when accept notions as Universal Design and Differentiated Instruction employing them into our classrooms. We must begin to identify and take care to each student’s individual needs; tapping into what information we can about diverse learners whether it come from their IEP plan or instructor collaboration. We should aim for it to be the norm to see a classroom where ‘preparedness’ for class means that all students are equipped with individual tools for learning just as much as we are equipped with the delivery of a lesson.