Kalman Hettleman.
The Abell Foundation
February 2002
The Baltimore-based Abell Foundation has produced another excellent education report, this one written by Kalman Hettleman and addressing the problems of special education in that city's schools. It's especially timely as the President's Commission on Special Education (which you can read about at http://www.ed.gov/inits/commissionsboards/whspecialeducation/) buckles down to its review of the federal IDEA program with an eye toward the possible reform of same. 50 pages long, Hettleman's report paints a devastating picture of a failed program and goes on to outline a comprehensive overhaul. Because it documents these problems in a real urban setting, it provides a valuable case study of special education in action (or perhaps inaction) and ought to capture the attention of policymakers and special educators alike. You can get a PDF version by surfing to www.abell.org and hunting there. You can also request a hard copy by phoning (410) 547-1300, faxing (410) 539-6579 or emailing [email protected].
