Parents, teachers want more from Metro special ed

Parents and teachers expressed their frustration with the special education system in Metro schools at a public forum last night.

When it comes to figuring out how to navigate their children through the system, parents said they feel like they’re forced to write the handbook as they go.

Lisa Hammett has a 14-year-old autistic daughter who has been in Metro schools for 11 years.

“You have to work like the devil — you have to know the law, you have to know your rights, you have to be persistent and you also have to build bridges. But it is a full-time job.”

Parents said they wanted to see more inclusion of special needs students with regular students to help prepare them for life after public school. Teachers said they want to do more, but most said they lack the training to handle special needs students in their already overcrowded classrooms.

Yesterday’s forum was the final of three held by Mayor Karl Dean’s Advisory Council on Special Education. Written comments from the forums will be included in a report to the mayor in preparation for a town-hall meeting July 14.