Following months of opposition on the part of special education advocacy groups, the State Board of Education voted to withdraw plans to revise sections of the state’s special education code.
Last fall, the New Jersey Department of Education proposed major changes to the code that would have affected case management, class size, evaluations, time lines, and transition services, to name a few. Special education advocates organized in opposition to the proposal, and engaged lawmakers to help stop the proposal from advancing. In June, the Joint Committee on Public Schools held a special hearing to take testimony on the changes.
The code proposals grew from recommendations of a special Red Tape Task Force convened by Governor Christie nearly two years ago. Critics charged that the 8-person task force lacked representation from parents, advocates, and special education stakeholder groups.
