U.S. Department Of Ed. Finds MA Failing To Protect Disabled Students

MASSACHUSETTS - A report released by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Programs found that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is failing to protect students with disabilities.

According to a letter from January made public Tuesday night, Massachusetts' education arm is not complying with a federal law guaranteeing disabled students certain rights to free public education.

The failures range from unclear complaint filing procedures to lapses in supervision systems. Additionally, the report found that the Commonwealth did not demonstrate that it has implemented appropriate monitoring procedures, did not ensure complaints are resolved within the 60-day time limit and has inconsistent laws and regulations pertaining to provisions for parents sharing the cost of certain education expenses that should be covered by the state.

The investigation also concluded that Massachusetts was unable to show it's keeping tabs on districts' oversights of students with disabilities in private schools.

The report requests corrective actions be taken and have a timeline ranging from 90 days to a year.

The full report can be read at this link here.