Kids have right to excel, not get by
School District U-46 denied Kim Stover's request that they provide her son Andrew with a laptop with a special program to help him keep up with class assignments. Ms. Stover said school officials offered her simpler solutions such as using a lighter pencil and giving Andrew shorter writing assignments than his peers.
As a college and university instructor, I know succeeding in higher education is difficult even for students without physical or mental challenges. Therefore, children who start out behind the rest of their classmates in elementary school and are not faced with the academic challenges facing other students will have a much more difficult time in college.
U-46 is setting up Ms. Stover's son for a greater struggle than he will face given the best opportunity to develop his academic skills. To people who truly believe a child's welfare is more valuable than money, an assistive device is worth its price.
The reason the school district denied Ms. Stover's request is money. My friend had the same problem when trying to get her son's district to pay for a similar laptop device that would enhance her son's ability to keep up with his classmates and to achieve his optimum level of learning.
Until she retained a lawyer, school personnel gave my friend the same excuses U-46 gave Ms. Stover. The lawyer attends critical Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings to ensure the school provides for the child's needs. Because the lawyer intervened, the district paid for the laptop and also funds outside therapy sessions for the child.
Unfortunately, for their children's rights, parents have to fight an ongoing battle with school personnel, people who are supposed to have children's best interests at heart but do not. Schools do not recognize that providing children with special needs the materials they need to achieve their optimum levels of education greatly increases the chances those children will assimilate into society as productive citizens.
I advise Ms. Stover to hire a lawyer. Andrew has the right to excel and not just to get by.
Mary E. Keenan
Schaumburg