¶ … Authorization
The new authorization of IDEA has very significant implications for teachers, educators and students. It addresses a wide variety of special education issues in a variety of ways.
The new IDEA provides guidelines regarding special education, and ties certification to "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB). However, although one clear goal of IDEA is for regular education and special education to work together more seamlessly, the special education certification does not consider the many ways in which special education services may be delivered. This will complicate compliance with this part of the law . It requires that special education teachers have full certification from their state or pass a special licensing exam along with any level of state certification. This is problematical because it will allow states to classify marginally prepared teachers as "highly qualified based on a test. This is contrary to how states have handled teacher certification in the past. The Council for Exceptional Education (CEC) fears that this part of the law may actually lead to lowered rather than raised standards for teachers. In addition, it will classify a teacher as "highly qualified" from the first day the teacher enters a preparation program.
Another goal of IDEA is to reduce the burden of paperwork placed on special educators by the prior IDEA authorization. They intend to test the effects of proposed changes, which is good, because perhaps no one fully anticipated...
This re-authorization will allow 15 states to pilot approaches to paperwork that should allow special educators to focus on education rather than procedures and without putting the students' rights to a Free and Appropriate Education (FAPE) at risk.
IDEA addresses the issue of special education funding. However, it does so inadequately. The CEC points out that when the first law mandating special education and IEP's was passed, in 1975, the intention was that the federal government would fully fund the program by 1981. This has not happened, and in fact funding has lagged behind dramatically, directly impacting what educators can do and the quality of programs parents can obtain for their children with special needs. State and local school districts have had to make up the sizeable slack for this federally ordered program. The new authorization of IDE still does not make it an "entitlement" program, meaning that while Congress can provide funds for it, they do not have to provide full funding. Thus special education will continue to be a financial burden at the state and local levels.
Another fiscal section appears to simply shift expenses rather than provide extra funds. It allows local educational agencies (LEAs) to move up to 15% of their IDEA monies to work with students who haven't yet been formally identified as needing services, with the hope that they can be helped within the regular classroom…
