REMARKS
Equity issues in special education funding between public and private schools
1:16:37
ยท
80 sec
Deputy Chancellor Christina Foti addresses the equity issues in special education funding between public and private schools. She highlights the imbalance in resource allocation and the need for more equitable processes in funding distribution.
- Acknowledgment of the need for equitable services for private school students
- Concern over the disparity in funding, such as paying $300 per hour for private setting services
- Discussion of the impact of funding inequities on public school programs like PATH
- Call for support in moving towards more equitable funding processes
Christina Foti
1:16:37
And to your point, we have money.
1:16:39
The the private versus public school conversation is not we believe deeply that our private school students deserve equitable services.
1:16:47
The the problem is, as Liz outlined, the the equity scales have tipped.
1:16:52
When we talk about paying a teacher $300 for an hour to serve a student in a private setting, that is not equitable to what a child in a public school system is getting.
1:17:02
And so the work we're doing, although deeply imperfect in terms of communication this year, Every hearing you've asked us to address this problem with our DPCs, our due process complaints, and we are here addressing it.
1:17:17
And it's imperfect.
1:17:19
And, you know, 18,000 families got the message.
1:17:23
Those that didn't, we gave vouchers to.
1:17:25
And that just I'm trying to bring us back to the equity scales of we talk about the PATH program in public schools.
1:17:32
How do we fund them?
1:17:34
Well, for 10 years now, funding has been running out of the system in equitable ways.
1:17:42
And we're asking that we start moving to more equitable processes with your support.
Rita Joseph
1:17:46
How many PATH programs do you have and how many schools?
Christina Foti
1:17:49
We have 7, chair.
Rita Joseph
1:17:55
Thank you.
1:17:56
Council member Hanks?