Private Schools Can Give Students With Disabilities the Flexibility They Need
Peshek: School choice programs provide students and families with new opportunities while taking no existing options away.

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As a father of a son with autism and an education advocate for nearly two decades, I鈥檝e spent much of my life navigating the complexities of education systems. That鈥檚 why I was troubled by a recent op-ed in 社区黑料 arguing that, with the 鈥減ush to expand publicly-funded private school choice, students with disabilities have a great deal to lose.鈥
This argument misses a critical point: These policies provide families with new opportunities while taking no existing options away.
The commentary by Lauren Morando Rhim at the Center for Learning Equity expresses concerns that private schools are not bound by the same rules, regulations, and processes as public schools. But that鈥檚 precisely the point of alternatives. As Rhim herself noted in a previous , 鈥淭he system can be very large and rigid,鈥 often leaving students with disabilities marginalized by a one-size-fits-all approach.
I鈥檓 hard pressed to find more compelling reasons to support giving families more options.
Public schools work well for many students with disabilities. But for families seeking something different, what鈥檚 the harm in allowing them to use their funds to choose a private alternative they believe will better serve their child?
Public schools are governed by laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which was enacted at a time when with disabilities were denied access to public schools. However, IDEA鈥檚 aspirational goals have not always translated into effective implementation across the nation鈥檚 13,000-plus school districts. Many families face endless battles for evaluations, services, and compliance. For every success story, there are countless examples of parents left frustrated by the system.
It鈥檚 tedious that I must point this out, because there are just as many stories of parents satisfied with what their public school offers their child. But the world doesn鈥檛 run on generalities鈥攊t runs on the lived experiences of individuals. Some schools do better than others, and some adults do better than others.
Florida passed the first statewide voucher program in 1999 specifically for students with disabilities. Today, over 90,000 students in Florida benefit from these programs, which cover tuition, therapies, tutoring, and other expenses.
Research supports their effectiveness. A from Boston University and the University of Arkansas found 93% satisfaction rates among families participating in Florida鈥檚 Gardiner Scholarship Program, an education savings account specifically for students with disabilities, compared to 85% satisfaction among families who are not participating. (The program is now part of the state鈥檚 newer Family Empowerment Scholarships for Students with Unique Abilities program.)
Participating parents reported significantly higher satisfaction rates in terms of the services and accommodations their private school provided compared to parents in public schools. These families valued the ability to choose schools and services that met their children鈥檚 specific needs鈥攆reedom that is often unavailable in public systems.
Unlike public schools, private school programs don鈥檛 necessarily have public meeting requirements, standardized test score reporting and federal disability law protections. Yet parents in these programs overwhelmingly report higher satisfaction. Why? These programs give families a right they don鈥檛 have elsewhere: the ability to control their educational funds and choose what works best for their child.
One parent in the Florida study put it best, saying the option 鈥渙pened up a whole avenue of feeling like I didn鈥檛 have to have him stay in a setting that I felt like he wasn鈥檛 going to be successful in. And without it, I don鈥檛 think he鈥檇 be where he is today.鈥
I won鈥檛 pretend every program is perfect. Bureaucratic red tape can make them harder to navigate, and experiences vary. But expanding options that outperform the status quo in parent satisfaction does not harm families of students with disabilities 鈥 it helps them.
I have a son with autism. I鈥檓 motivated to find him a school where he鈥檚 welcomed, supported, understood, and loved. I want him to grow academically, socially, and cognitively. I hope he鈥檒l make friends and be able to share highlights of his day. These basic human needs are obvious to any parent, yet they鈥檙e rarely mentioned in debates about regulations and government processes.
With over 55 million schoolchildren in the United States, why dismiss choice and alternatives because they are not bound by a federal regulatory apparatus? That is often the very reason parents seek alternatives. Expanding options empowers families to find solutions that work for them鈥攕olutions that no one can dictate better than a parent.
Adam Peshek is senior director and senior fellow of Stand Together Trust.
Disclosure: Stand Together Trust provides financial support to 社区黑料.
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