Local and national news, NPR, things to do, food recommendations and guides to Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland EmpireSix-year-old Sam and his mother, Tabitha, attend a virtual class with Sam’s teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing.If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily morning newsletter, How To LA. Every weekday, you'll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news.
And when they arrived at school, she often found the four accessible parking spaces occupied by school police or other cars. In addition to the physical barriers, Tabitha says Sam never had a dedicated special education instructor in his classroom. His previous nurse, Sherri, always accompanied him to school. “I was there in the capacity of a nurse,” she says, “but I also had to be his teacher because he didn't have a one-on-one like you should have in the classroom.
School districts and states have long complained that they do not receive enough funds from the federal government to meet the needs of disabled students. When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed in 1974, it authorized federal funding for up to 40% of what it costs to provide special education services for students with disabilities ..
As she awaits some resolution from OCR, Tabitha is considering a lawsuit against the district. NPR spoke with several parents of students with disabilities around the country who say their OCR cases are taking months, even years to resolve. Many, like Tabitha, are seeking outside help from advocates and lawyers to address their concerns.
“We've seen more than a 500% increase in the successful resolutions by mediation since we have had that process in place,” says Llahmon.