Open Letter to the Johns Hopkins Center for Summer Learning:
Dear Directors Fairchild and Libit:
I am writing you concerning the recent award to Montgomery County Public Schools of the "Champion of Summer Learning Award." While everyone in Montgomery County agrees that the ELO-SAIL is a valuable program, parents of students with disabilities were extremely discouraged to see MCPS awarded as a "champion of summer learning" when MCPS has engaged in a campaign over the last several years to eliminate, reduce, and cut back extended school year services for students with disabilities.
As you know, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides for extended school year services during the summer for students with disabilities who meet certain criteria. MCPS had to be sued many years ago in federal court in order to force them to comply with this portion of the law. MCPS was monitored for several years on their compliance and provision of services.
Since the monitoring has ceased, however, MCPS has systematically reduced the amount of extended school year services available during the summer, found more children "ineligible" than in previous years, and reduced the quantity of services that they do provide to eligible children.
Children with disabilities, including severe disabilities like autism, come from families of all socio-economic backgrounds and ethnicities. Surely the Center for Summer Learning sees the corresponding need for high-quality summer education programs provided to students with disabilities, who, just like the students in the ESO-SAIL program, could benefit from programs targeted to maintain their skills and boost those skills in preparation for the upcoming school year. Unfortunately, many students with disabilities who need this summer programming are not getting it.
Would you be willing to issue a statement from your organization (the National Center for Summer Learning) supporting providing summer services to students with disabilities and encouraging MCPS to follow both the Letter and the Spirit of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act with regard to Extended School Year Services? I anxiously await your response.
Sincerely,
Lyda Astrove
Rockville, MD
Day 2.
ReplyDeleteNo answer back from Johns Hopkins University on whether their National Center for Summer Learning will issue a statement supporting summer services for students with disabilities.