Charter School Stories: They DO help kids with disabilities

Even though a Kentucky charter school law is now on the books, we continue to hear vehement attacks from opponents like Kentucky Representative Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort. The State Journal reported on April 4, 2017 in “Kentucky lawmakers say negative impacts of session will be felt across the state” that Graham agreed another legislator’s assertion that “the impact of charter schools will be devastating.”

Though not specifically mentioned in the State Journal article, one thing charter opponents frequently claim is that these public schools of choice don’t help kids with disabilities.

That assertion would be a real surprise to Carmen Ward, whose son Paul has benefitted greatly from his attendance at a KIPP charter school in Missouri. But, I’ll let You Tube help tell you this story about how a student with Asperger's didn’t get the support he needed until he entered a charter school.

One more thought: Why do people like Graham – a retired educator and thus part of the “traditional school system’s adult group” – think schools should be allowed to continue to collect money for students they are not serving well? Should we be spending education dollars to educate our young people, or are we paying to run an adult entitlement program?