A special education teacher walks down a hallway with her student in a Northern California school.
Credit: Andrew Reed / EdSource
A growing concern has emerged in California regarding the educational rights of students with extensive support needs.
These students, who often require ongoing assistance in physical, communication, or social support, may not be receiving the mandated instructional minutes set by the California Department of Education. Further, recent studies suggest that special education teachers spend only 20% of their daily time on actual teaching, with students receiving most of their instruction from paraeducators and other service providers. These findings point to wide-ranging implications for how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is really implemented in schools.
When one of us, Sara Caniglia-Schulte from San Jose State University, observed one such class as part of her…
