As families and students prepare for a semester, advocating for students is essential. The next generation remains vocal about prominent issues in school. To celebrate Disability Pride Month, we’re advocating for the next generation, starting in the classroom.
According to the Pew Research Center, Public K-12 schools in the United States educate about 7.3 million students with disabilities, which has grown over the last few decades. With the numbers continuing to grow for disabled students in school, there needs to be intentionality behind providing resources for the rest of 2023 and the following school years.
Hire Special Education Teachers
Due to the pandemic, we saw a shift in the state of educators after a lack of funding and resources. According to the Pew Research Center, During the 2020-21 school year, 40% of public schools with a special education teaching vacancy reported that they either found it very difficult to fill the position or were unable to do so.
Understand Common Types Of Disabilities
It’s essential to treat each student as an individual and not compartmentalize all disabilities into one category. According to the data, In 2021-22, about a third of students (32%) receiving services under IDEA had a specific learning disability. Some 19% had a speech or language impairment, while 15% had a chronic or acute health problem that adversely affected their educational performance.
Work Closely With Students Who Were Remote During The Pandemic
Let’s face it the pandemic shifted how students absorb information and learn in the classroom. Many of them feel as though they’ve missed a lot of prominent lessons and it’s up to educators and advocates to help them adjust. The study showcases the decline in students receiving special education services was part of a 3% decline in the overall number of students enrolled in public schools between 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Fight For Funding For Disabled Students
Although 2020 uncovered many issues within the education system, the fight continues. In 2020 The U.S. Department of Education today released more than $3 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to states to support infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Now as we soon enter the end of 2023, we hope to see greater investments and advocacy for students.
About Kenyatta: Clark Atlanta University and Medill School alumna Kenyatta Victoria is the Girls United writer covering everything from news, pop culture, lifestyle, and investigative stories. When not reporting, she’s diving deep into her curated playlists or binging her favorite comfort shows.