And the correct thing would be to take these programs away from our kids? Special education by the way still gets a huge investment and is supposed to be better supported by state and federal funds.

I did not say take all the programs from the kids. The state and the Feds have never supported special needs as they have promised. Jason what do you suggest?

You implied by your comment "Once again, they as a group (the school committee), did not have the courage to do the correct thing to fix our city." that the right choice would be voting to remove these sports programs. If you are going to target elected officials, why don't you target "the state and Feds" that "have never supported special needs as they have promised" with your comments. As for suggestions, I think the school department made the right move, Educational Specialists have always been a needless extra level between Teachers Assistants and Special Ed. Teachers, some of them make almost the same as teachers start out as despite not having nearly the same credentials, they should only be used when funded by a grant or absolutely required by an IEP, as I understand it, that is the bulk of the Special Ed. layoffs. While Special Education students deserve our support, we also have to look at what's fair for our general population students as well and we can no longer be a special ed haven for people to move to.

I wish people poured this much energy into educational concerns as a whole. There doesnt seem to be this much outrage over the simple lack of books or supplies.

To L Man Why can't parents who want their children to play sports pay as they do for little leaque. I guess you don't have any interest in supporting special ed kid.

As a parent w/ a regular ed and special ed student, I can say that my child can live w/o cheer, soccer and chorus. If I chose to let her be involved I am more than happy to help fundraise and pay out of pocket, as I already do for both for their activities.But my special needs child needs her physical and speech therapy, She is deaf &disabled, the amt. she receives@school is only what the school dept and their testing have decided she needs. Due to the fact that medically she requires more, I take her outpatient and this $ comes out of my pocket therefore I'm not living off the city. I am lifelong resident, have paid taxes long before i had kids, so I wasn't looking for a haven. I'll say that I was happy to have such great service at my disposal & i believe she thrived with the help she received at early age. But when she was receiving no speech for months &the school dept didn't even let us know, & nobody has asked happened with those monies b/c I am sure they billed my medical as if she received services. Therefore they received federal $$. So far they have lost 21 aides& all behavior specialists, what has my regular ed stud lost, not much in comparison. We keep talking ab mainstreaming these kids to cut costs & bring outside behavioral ones back in the system. Basiclly we are making it impossible for our spec ed teachers to work w/the behavioral population in our school & in turn we will be paying to eventually send these kids back to Bradley or Groden &come full circle