Senate leaders order $6 million to help special education students: ‘Time to get this done’ – By Will Sentell (The Advocate) / March 23, 2022
Money would finance cameras for special education classrooms
In a sudden turn of events, two Senate leaders Wednesday told the state Department of Education to find $6 million to finance cameras for public school classrooms that house about 9,000 of Louisiana’s most severely affected special education students.
The events unfolded in the Senate Education Committee during a hearing on a bill that would require schools to have written policies governing the cameras by Dec. 31. The measure does not require that the cameras be installed but is aimed at making that happen when funds are available and if a request is filed by a parent or guardian.
The legislation applies to self-contained classrooms, which mean those strictly limited to special education students and generally children with the most challenging disabilities, including the inability to speak. Backers contend that because the children face a variety of handicaps, they cannot pursue complaints and cameras would help.
