(ThyBlackMan.com) Special education has become a sensationalized buzzword in many Black community and education circles. Far too often Black parents rush in to schools get “services” that they feel will best serve their child’s interests, but not knowing the full ramifications of their actions. Understand this, special education is a service for students who have disabilities, not merely for students who need extra help. Most children can benefit from extra help and individualized instruction. What entices so many Black parents to venture down the slippery slope of special education is a desire to have their children given more academic attention than what they receive in the regular classroom. After all, classroom teachers have the most difficult job in America.
They are expected to teach a rigorous curriculum, be on alert for any signs of homicidal/suicidal behavior, manage the disruptive behavior of students whose parents sent them off to school with absolutely no appreciation for self-discipline, and accommodate to the learning needs of students who probably received inadequate instruction in previous grades. Simply 
stated, this is an impossible task. Although many teachers realize a degree of success under such pressures, they would probably all agree that the expectations for teachers, in the 21st century, are nothing short of fantastic.
In this culture of high stakes testing, influenced by NCLB mandates, we have seen a push for more special education services; particularly for African-American children whom many feel cannot learn as well as others. Certainly your child may have one of thirteen IDEIA educational disabilities, but for the vast majority of our children they simply suffer from a lack of appropriate instruction. Providing a child with special education services, who really only needs academic remediation, can almost always worsen their educational outcomes. Sure, they may graduate from high school but at what cost; or more appropriately at what loss? However, if you truly feel that you child has a disability and needs special education services you only need to write a letter to the principal of that school requesting a Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation (MDE) to determine of your child has a disability under IDEIA and if he or she will need specially-designed instruction in order to make academic progress in school.
Remember, you are the parent and thusly the most important member of the MDT and should never adopt a passive role throughout the evaluation process. The MDT is a group of qualified professionals and parent who must ensure that the child in question receives a proper evaluation. It must include a certified school psychologist, not merely a licensed psychologist, when evaluating for most of the 13 federally defined disability categories. You should ensure that the individual testing your child has a state certification in school psychology, as occasionally you may run into psychologists who are not state certified, and still choose to evaluate Black children illegally. The school district has a maximum of 60 days, not necessarily including summer vacation days, to provide you with the completed Evaluation Report (ER). Once the report is completed the MDT should request your presence at a meeting to review the findings. Since an MDT meeting is not required by federal law you may have to request this meeting, particularly if your child was NOT found to have a disability.
If your child was found to have a disability and to have a subsequent need for special education services, the school district is required to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your child and revise it annually. You will receive a written request to participate as a member of the IEP Team, and in the IEP meeting, to create your child’s yearly educational program. This is a most important meeting, as the final document becomes a binding agreement between the student’s family and the school district. It is your job as parent to ensure that the all services, modifications and accommodations that your child needs is included in the final version of the IEP. You should not attend this meeting alone as it can be very intimidating, and it is not unusual to hear parents remark afterwards that they felt bullied, pressured and/or did not agree with the final document – but signed it anyway. Once implemented, you must ensure that the school district is following the IEP as agreed and that your child is benefiting from their special education program.
Please keep in mind that special education is a program and not a place. Each child with a disability has a right to receive a Free & Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The LRE provision of IDEIA is often violated when it comes to Black boys who are often segregated away from their non-disabled peers and forced to spend the entire day, or most of the day, in an exclusionary setting with other children who also are not being properly educated. Special Education is not Throw-Away Education as it so often becomes in predominately African-American communities and in affluent communities where African-American boys are often not wanted. LRE mandates that student with disabilities, including Black boys, are given the opportunity to learn, to the fullest extent possible, in their regular education classroom.
You must remember that whenever you disagree with the Evaluation Report (ER) completed by the school-based multi-disciplinary team (MDT), you have a federal right to receive an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) by a certified school psychologist of your choice at district expense. Furthermore, you have the right to call an IEP meeting anytime you deem it within the best interest of your child. You as parent are the most powerful member on the MDT and IEP teams, as the child in question is your own, and you know that child better than anyone else sitting around the table. If you have a student with a disability who is not receiving an appropriate education you can file for due process with your state department of education, against your school district, which can result in compensatory education services and even a private school placement at district expense. Although such decisions are not very common they are growing in prevalence, as so many African-American children are being segregated away from regular education placement and often misdiagnosed with learning disabilities they do not have.
You should learn the names, phone numbers and addresses to the Director of Special Education and Pupil Support Services in your school district; as well as to the State Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education Services & Programs. These offices may vary slightly by name but they are all generally responsible for the same functions. Lastly, put everything in writing. Keep detailed notes of phone conversations, teacher conferences, suspensions, and concerns. Always communicate with your child’s school in writing. Verbal conversations are acceptable, but should always be followed up with an email or letter to confirm the subject matter and any decisions made therein. It’s not uncommon for school administrators to catch “academic amnesia,” selectively forgetting promises they made to parents. Try your best and work with your child’s school and teachers to ensure that they receive the best education before moving toward more confrontational processes. Nonetheless, at the end of the day, no one is going to look out for your child like his or her parents.
Written By Umar R. Abdullah-Johnson
