J. This limitation is summarized in the following passage: Sometimes, disagreements about educational benefit are called "Cadillac-Chevrolet" disputes. Remember: In Rowley, the Supreme Court ruled that children are entitled to an appropriate education (i.e. A Chevrolet), not the best education money can buy (a Cadillac). http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/iep_guidance.html#Law_and_Regulations

The above accurately describes some of the limitations that public schools have to meet the needs of special education children. This may or may not be helpful to remind the grandparents of at this point in the process. It seem entirely likely that they know this (and certainly any well-run IEP program would have made this information known to the grandparents at the very beginning of the process) but the grandparents may need to be reminded of the legal limits for J.J.'s education.

It is significant that one of the most important objections that the grandparents have is that J.J. will face emotional abuse at work rather than the fact that he will be unable to keep a job. They are worried about this second condition, but it does not seem to be paramount. They may also feel that the district has in an important way broken trust with them because they may well have believed that the district would provide full services through J.J.'s eighteenth birthday and possibly even through his twenty-first birthday. If the IEP team and the district did not inform the guardians that this was a possibility, then they should probably apologize to them. If they had already informed the grandparents of this fact, then the IEP team members should (gently) remind the family that they have done so.

One thing that is very important to

leave school before he is eighteen. The possibility of his getting a job at age sixteen is significantly lower than his chances at the age of eighteen. Moreover, the additional two years in high school would provide him with additional vocational skills that he may be entitled to under law and that -- even more likely -- that he may be entitled to on an ethical basis (Vocational rehabilitation services for high school students, 2011).
One of the key aspects of IEP recommendations and accommodations that does not receive as much public debate as perhaps it should is that districts and schools can face significant pressure in terms of limiting special educations plans because such plans are extremely expensive for schools. One hopes that the opportunity to achieve savings in terms of not having to provide additional years of special education services has no play in the IEP team's decision. If financial considerations have not played a part then the IEP team should assure the grandparents of this fact.

References

Vocational services for high school students. (2011). http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2terminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Consumer&L2=Disability+Services&L3=Training+and+Education+Services&L4=Education+Guidance&sid=Eeohhs2&b=terminalcontent&f=mrc_c_vr_voc_students&csid=Eeohhs2

http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/iep_guidance.html#Law_and_Regulations