REMARKS
Concerns about sustainability of current spending on private services and litigation
0:39:38
ยท
57 sec
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams expresses serious concerns about the sustainability of current spending on private services and litigation in special education. He emphasizes the need to address these issues while ensuring all students receive necessary services.
- Williams points out that spending on private services and Carter cases is nearly equal to spending on District 75, which he finds unsustainable.
- He expresses concern about cases where families bypass the public school system and go directly to litigation.
- Williams stresses the need to balance providing necessary services with fiscal responsibility.
- He highlights the disproportionate impact on communities that can't afford private services.
- Williams offers to assist in finding solutions to these complex issues, acknowledging the sensitivities involved while emphasizing the urgent need for action.
Jumaane Williams
0:39:38
No.
0:39:39
No.
0:39:39
I was just gonna say I don't wanna overstint my my the courtesy I received, so I I appreciate that.
0:39:43
Yeah.
0:39:45
And I appreciate everything you're saying.
0:39:46
I just wanna just be on the record.
0:39:47
I that the you know, we're almost spending the same amount for the private as for the charter as the the Carters, in the District 75, which is just unsustainable.
0:39:56
And I wanna make sure everybody gets the service they need.
0:39:58
But if there are places where people are not even trying to get that service, and just automatically going to, litigation, that is a problem, in my opinion.
0:40:06
So whatever I can do to assist, There's a lot of great programs in the in the schools.
0:40:10
We definitely need more.
0:40:11
We won't get that more without the money.
0:40:13
So I know the sensitivities here, but we have to this is something I was trying to deal with when I was a council member.
0:40:18
Sensitivities prevented it, but we just have to kinda just get to it because we're just taking money from our public schools and giving it to private schools and private services.
0:40:26
That is literally unsustainable, particularly for communities that just can't afford to do it.
0:40:30
So I wanna find a way to work on that as much as possible.
0:40:33
Thank you, madam chair, for the courtesy.
0:40:35
I appreciate it.