Finally. This morning I spoke to a friend with a child in special education; she finally heard TODAY – Friday, June 20th – about her child’s middle school placement. Can you believe????

As reported here and elsewhere, the Special Education kids were left hanging for more than two weeks after the general education kids heard about middle school. In past years special education kids always heard at the same time.

The Daily News had the story of this outrage yesterday. Here’s an excerpt.

City special education fifth-graders are still waiting to find out where they’re going to middle school next fall.

It’s
been particularly troublesome for students in inclusion classes, where
general- and special-education students attend class together,
educators said.

"We’ve worked so hard – as have so many schools
– to make sure that our special-needs children are treated equitably,
and this differing timetable undermines that approach," said Park Slope Public School 321 Principal Elizabeth Phillips.

It was the latest complaint about public school admissions in recent weeks. Education Department
officials are already scrambling to fix bungled prekindergarten
placements; middle school parents have charged it took months to learn
where their children would be attending school next year – and some
haven’t yet heard where.

The problem affects city school districts where students choose their middle schools.

City Education Department spokesman Andy Jacob said the special-education placement delay wasn’t because of an oversight, adding letters will go out next week.

"We want to make sure the schools special education students are assigned to can meet their needs," said Jacob.

But
School District 15 officials said in past years special-education
students have learned about middle school admissions at the same time
as general education kids.