Special ed questions on Colorado charter school applications violate federal law, complaints allege - The Colorado Sun
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat Colorado. More at chalkbeat.org.
Advocates have filed civil rights complaints against more than two dozen Colorado charter schools alleging that questions on their application forms about whether prospective students receive special education services violate federal law.
Colorado charter schools enroll students with disabilities at a lower rate than the state average — and at a lower rate than charter schools in most other states, according to a study by the Center for Learner Equity.
The study, commissioned last year by the Colorado Department of Education’s Schools of Choice Unit, identified such screening questions as one reason for the lower enrollment. Even when schools don’t use the question to screen out prospective students, advocates fear parents will be deterred. They might think a school isn’t prepared to serve their child — or doesn’t want to.
The state has convened a working group to improve charter school practices and propose rule changes, but it hasn’t mandated any changes yet.
The complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights identify 29 Colorado charter schools that ask a question about disability status in their application. The federal office has opened investigations into all of them.
Emily Harvey, education team leader and an attorney with Disability Law Colorado, which brought the complaints, said the law firm is seeking applications from more Colorado charter schools that may ask similar questions.
source: https://coloradosun.com/2021/10/06/special-ed-charter-schools-colorado-lawsuit/
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