"This bill makes a number of improvements over the current law that are good for parents and teachers, and ultimately the students," said Senator Collins. "But most important, continued support for IDEA demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensuring that disabled children have access to quality public education."
IDEA is based on the fundamental principle that all disabled children are entitled to a free and appropriate public education and, to the maximum extent possible, should be educated alongside their nondisabled peers. IDEA authorizes federal funding for special education services to assist states in meeting this goal.
The reauthorization bill that was passed by the Senate today contains provisions to ease some No Child Left Behind teacher quality requirements for special education teachers. It modifies IDEA to allow schools to better address discipline issues with special education students. The bill also requires a new "preliminary meeting" for parents and school officials before proceeding to due process hearings, to give the parties an opportunity to address concerns informally.
Yesterday, Senator Collins offered an amendment to fully fund the federal share of IDEA over the next six years through mandatory funding increases. "I was disappointed that this amendment failed by only a handful of votes, but I will continue to fight for additional funding increases through the appropriations process," said Senator Collins Senator Collins has consistently supported efforts to fully fund the federal share of IDEA. This past fall, the Senate approved legislation that she cosponsored to increase total funding for IDEA by $2.2 billion.
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