New Era: Revitalizing Special Education for Children and Their Families

摘要

America's special education system presents new and continuing challenges. For far too many families, teachers, principals and school districts, special education presents a daunting task-a morass of rules, regulations and litigation that limits access and hinders learning. Hundreds of thousands of parents have seen the benefits of America's inclusive education system. But, many more see room for improvement. On January 8, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act into law. That law united Congress and our nation. It made a bold, new commitment to every child. We became a nation committed to judging the schools by one measure and one measure alone: whether every boy and every girl is learning-regardless of race, family background or disability status. On October 2, 2001, President Bush created the Commission on Excellence in Special Education (the Commission). The Commission continues the President's education vision for America-an America where every public school reaches out to every single student and encourages every child to learn to his or her full potential.