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DeVos Decides Against Special Education Waivers During the Pandemic DeVos Decides Against Special Education Waivers During the Pandemic
(2 months later)
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will not recommend that schools be freed of any of their obligations to educate students with disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic, the Education Department announced this week.WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will not recommend that schools be freed of any of their obligations to educate students with disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic, the Education Department announced this week.
The decision was outlined in a report that the department sent to Congress on Monday, which recommended that it leave intact the core tenets of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but suggested some flexibility in the law’s administrative requirements, such as extending timelines for assessing toddlers for special education services.The decision was outlined in a report that the department sent to Congress on Monday, which recommended that it leave intact the core tenets of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, but suggested some flexibility in the law’s administrative requirements, such as extending timelines for assessing toddlers for special education services.
“While the department has provided extensive flexibility to help schools transition, there is no reason for Congress to waive any provision designed to keep students learning,” Ms. DeVos said in a statement. “With ingenuity, innovation and grit, I know this nation’s educators and schools can continue to faithfully educate every one of its students.”“While the department has provided extensive flexibility to help schools transition, there is no reason for Congress to waive any provision designed to keep students learning,” Ms. DeVos said in a statement. “With ingenuity, innovation and grit, I know this nation’s educators and schools can continue to faithfully educate every one of its students.”
In the recently passed coronavirus stabilization law, Congress gave Ms. DeVos 30 days to recommend whether she wanted the authority to waive parts of the landmark federal special education law to help schools cope with prolonged closings.In the recently passed coronavirus stabilization law, Congress gave Ms. DeVos 30 days to recommend whether she wanted the authority to waive parts of the landmark federal special education law to help schools cope with prolonged closings.
The closings have significantly altered the ability of schools to provide special education services as they scramble to move instruction online. Those services, outlined in legal agreements called Individualized Education Programs, can include an array of intensive educational services, like tutoring, behavioral support or occupational therapy,The closings have significantly altered the ability of schools to provide special education services as they scramble to move instruction online. Those services, outlined in legal agreements called Individualized Education Programs, can include an array of intensive educational services, like tutoring, behavioral support or occupational therapy,
As school districts grapple with ensuring that the special education population, about seven million students, receives an education equal to its peers, many have feared being out of compliance with federal requirements and deadlines, and some have braced for costly lawsuits from families whose students did not receive the same level of services.As school districts grapple with ensuring that the special education population, about seven million students, receives an education equal to its peers, many have feared being out of compliance with federal requirements and deadlines, and some have braced for costly lawsuits from families whose students did not receive the same level of services.
Fearing a backlash, some school districts opted not to educate any children at all for a period, or significantly curtailed the level of instruction they offered. Only a few weeks into the school closings, some districts reported that lawyers had already begun eyeing legal action, according to the AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which had urged the department to request some flexibility from the law.Fearing a backlash, some school districts opted not to educate any children at all for a period, or significantly curtailed the level of instruction they offered. Only a few weeks into the school closings, some districts reported that lawyers had already begun eyeing legal action, according to the AASA, the School Superintendents Association, which had urged the department to request some flexibility from the law.
HuffPost reported Saturday that some schools in New Jersey were forcing families to sign away their rights and to promise not to sue to receive special education services.HuffPost reported Saturday that some schools in New Jersey were forcing families to sign away their rights and to promise not to sue to receive special education services.
Special education and civil rights groups argued that any waivers from the law would signal to schools that they could write off the nation’s most vulnerable students for the remainder of the pandemic. They cheered Ms. DeVos’s recommendation, and urged Congress to uphold it.Special education and civil rights groups argued that any waivers from the law would signal to schools that they could write off the nation’s most vulnerable students for the remainder of the pandemic. They cheered Ms. DeVos’s recommendation, and urged Congress to uphold it.
“DeVos’s recommendation is a surprising — but welcome — move from this administration and a win for the disability rights movement,” said West Resendes, a Skadden fellow in the American Civil Liberties Union’s Disability Rights Program.“DeVos’s recommendation is a surprising — but welcome — move from this administration and a win for the disability rights movement,” said West Resendes, a Skadden fellow in the American Civil Liberties Union’s Disability Rights Program.
Updated June 24, 2020
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
“The department has rightfully steered clear of recommending any waivers that would alter the tenets of IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act, thus supporting every child with a disability’s right to a free, appropriate public education,” Denise Marshall, the chief executive of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, said in a statement. “While challenging, we know that many schools and districts are embracing their responsibilities as they work with families to meet the needs of students while physical buildings are closed.”“The department has rightfully steered clear of recommending any waivers that would alter the tenets of IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act, thus supporting every child with a disability’s right to a free, appropriate public education,” Denise Marshall, the chief executive of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, said in a statement. “While challenging, we know that many schools and districts are embracing their responsibilities as they work with families to meet the needs of students while physical buildings are closed.”
Also Monday, Ms. DeVos announced a grant competition that would allow states to apply for funding from the department and dole out “microgrants” to parents that they could use for a variety of remote educational services, including special education.Also Monday, Ms. DeVos announced a grant competition that would allow states to apply for funding from the department and dole out “microgrants” to parents that they could use for a variety of remote educational services, including special education.