Introduction to the State of Connecticut’s Educational System

Introduction to Special Education in the State of Connecticut

Introduction to U.S. Department of Education

Introduction to Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

Education Organizational Chart

Primer on Local Government

Managing the Educational Maze

Introduction to the State of Connecticut’s Educational System

The State of Connecticut is made up of 169 cities and towns, all of which have their own municipal governments operating independently from one another. Unlike many other states, Connecticut does not have a system of county municipal government. For example, the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles, CA (which incorporates hundreds of surrounding miles), have two distinct municipal governments.

Connecticut’s 8 counties (Fairfield; Hartford; New London; Tolland; Litchfield; Middlesex; New Haven and Windham) represent geographic sections of the state with no associated governing entity. Within these counties are a total of 166 school districts with their own school boards. In the view of one inner-city superintendent frustrated with the current educational system, they are more like 166 “kingdoms.” These 166 school districts and/or regional school districts are governed by one of the 169 municipalities.

[Click here] for the list of schools by county.

What is a “Regional School System?” This is created when several towns combine funding to create a regional system for middle and upper grades. There are a total of 19 Regional School Districts in the state. Many towns have enough students to populate an elementary school but not enough to also populate a middle school and a high school. Regional school systems help towns solve the student shortage in upper grade levels as well as help smaller towns to control their education taxes.

[Click here] the list of Regional School Districts

The role of the State Department of Education is to ensure that schools are in compliance with both state and Federal education regulations. The Department of Education has its own State Board of Education with members appointed by the Governor. 

[Click here] for the current names of the Education Commissioner and State Board of Education members. (www.sde.ct.gov  Click on “State Board of Education”)

There are also three other educational systems within the state: Technical Schools, Magnet Schools and Charter Schools. These are not covered in this section but more information about them can be obtained by visiting the State of Connecticut Department of Education’s website www.sde.ct.gov  and clicking on “Technical School System” or “Choice Programs.”

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Introduction to Special Education in the State of Connecticut:

The Connecticut Department of Education houses the Bureau of Special Education. The purpose of this department is to oversee and report on the state’s special education processes and regulations as outlined in IDEA 2004 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act revised in 2004), NCLB (No Child Left Behind Act)  and in the State’s own special education laws (Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-76a to 10 -76h). The combination of these federal and state laws are designed to protect students with disabilities (ages 3 – 21) by ensuring that they receive the services and assistance necessary for an appropriate and meaningful education.

It is important to note that this department does not provide direct services or advocacy services to children and their parents. However, it does offer phone consultations with educational consultants and print resource materials from its website to assist families understand the laws that govern their child’s education program.  For further information or to review available booklets, visit www.sde.ct.gov and click on “Special Education”. Or, you can also contact their office directly at 860-713-6910.

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U.S. Department of Education:

Mission:

Congress established the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 4, 1980 via passage of the Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88 of October 1979). Under this law, its mission is to:

• Strengthen Federal commitment to assure access to equal educational opportunities for every individual;
• Supplement and complement the efforts of states, local school systems and other instrumentalities of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;
• Encourage the increased involvement of the public, parents, and students in Federal education programs;
• Promote improvements in the quality and usefulness of education through Federally supported research, evaluation, and sharing of information;
• Improve the coordination of Federal education programs;
• Improve the management of Federal education activities; and
• Increase the accountability of Federal education programs to the President, the Congress, and the public.

What does the U.S. Department of Education not do?

Under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." As nothing is specifically stated about education in the Constitution; it falls outside federal authority.

In creating the Department of Education, Congress made clear its intention that the Secretary of Education and other Department officials be prohibited from exercising "any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system." The establishment of schools and colleges, the development of curricula and the setting of requirements for enrollment and graduation are among the responsibilities handled by states and communities as well as by public and private organizations of all kinds vs. by the U.S. Department of Education.

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The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under the U.S. Department of Education:

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities (from birth to age through 21) by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts. OSEP administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

IDEA authorizes formula grants to states and discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and other nonprofit organizations. These grants support research, demonstrations, technical assistance and dissemination, technology and personnel development and parent-training and information centers. These programs are intended to ensure that the rights of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their parents are protected. OSEP accomplishes this mission by:

• Developing, communicating and disseminating federal policy and information on early intervention and the education of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities;
• Administering formula grants and discretionary programs authorized by Congress;
• Fostering and supporting research and the development of knowledge and innovations to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities;
• Promoting and supporting the training of educational, related services, and leadership personnel, and parents and volunteers;
• Evaluating, monitoring and reporting on the implementation of federal policy and programs and the effectiveness of early intervention / educational efforts for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and,
• Coordinating with other federal agencies, state agencies, and the private sector (including parent and professional organizations, private schools, and organizations of persons with disabilities) for the review of policy, program planning and implementation issues.

(http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/mission.html)  

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Educational Organizational Chart

Primer on Local Government:

Larger cities and towns have a Mayor or a Town Manager / Town Council to preside over local affairs. Smaller towns may elect a Selectman / Board of Selectmen and/or a Town Council as their governing body.

Reporting to the governing body are additional boards and committees such as Board of Education, Town Zoning Board, Economic Development Board etc. For detailed information about how your local government is organized, check your town’s website or contact the Town Clerk’s office for information.

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Managing the Educational Maze:

As a resident of any town or city, it is important to understand your local government and its organizational structure. This includes understanding your school district’s local and nonprofit educational initiatives. The Bureau Chief of Accountability for the State Department of Education was recently quoted (July 2008 – AM News Talk Radio Station) that one school district had 200+ Federal, state, local and nonprofit mandates / initiatives they were imposing on students, teachers and parents.

As a parent* you should continually ask yourself, “Has my child made adequate yearly progress?”  If the answer is “no”, then as an advocate for and parent of your child, it is your responsibility to peel away the layers of bureaucracy to demand changes in your child’s educational program (IEP). An example of such a necessary change would be challenging the enrollment of your deaf blind child in a foreign language class simply because doing so would satisfy a state mandate.

Potentially, your child* could regularly and routinely interact with over 30 individuals who provide some kind of educational support within the system. These may include superintendent, special education director, local school principal, special education teacher, regular education teacher(s), school nurse, town nurse / town health department; special education paraprofessional, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, school psychologist, education consultant, art teacher, music teacher, gym teacher and any other paraprofessionals not mentioned, including the school bus driver. Needless to say, this can sometimes become a bit overwhelming, especially when problems arise.

Parents must learn how to identify the difference between an education issue (e.g. related to the IEP) and personnel issue (e.g. a paraprofessional/Special Education teacher refusing to properly implement your child’s IEP). Most often than not, disagreements are related to personnel problems than education problems. Being able to distinguish between the two will directly affect your advocacy efforts and minimize or completely avoid the need to engage in costly and time consuming legal proceedings.

Therefore, in order to effectively advocate for your child’s educational program at the local level, it’s essential to be aware of the local “chain of command” and how to navigate it effectively to address a particular problem / concern. Issues (especially personnel problems) that you can deal with directly will often result in more timely interventions to benefit your child.

However, for any disagreement* that cannot be directly resolved with appropriate town / Board of Education personnel,  the next step would be to request a Due Process Hearing or Mediation with the State Department of Education. For further information please see the State Department of Education’s website. www.sde.ct.gov Click on “Special Education”

* Assuming that your child has been identified as having a disability by the local school district and has an IEP (Individual Education Program).

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