School options for children with disabilities

               Since 2004, Texas Education Agency (TEA) has lowered the number of students granted special education status. From a recent report, it stated that the TEA set 8.5 percent of the student population as the maximum for special education population in Texas. Texas has a substantially smaller percentage of special education students than the national average, and has smallest percentage of all of the states. In the 2013-2014 school year, Texas came in at 8.6 percent, while the national average is 13 percent. The number is decreasing because of the successful efforts to rehabilitate students who had been diagnosed with learning disabilities, but some current and former school administrates claim that they have to drop the student population to the set goal immediately by using alternative program which is less expensive. Schools push students out of special education to meet state limit. Many parents have taken their children with disabilities out of public schools in favor of private schools and home-schooling because they do not feel the needs of their child are being met by the school district. It is costly to send children to private schools and even lose the income of one parent to homeschooling. Therefore, Education Savings Account is one method that allows parents to have more options in choosing school for their children, especially low-income family.

            This is brief summary that was written by Dianna Muldrow on Texas Public Policy Foundation. As America, especially Texas, always focus on children education, the conditions of children with disabilities are needed to prioritize at all time. This commentary post is very attractive for readers at first by providing many detail numbers as evidence for the decrease of the student population with disabilities. Short brief summary on the topic was well written by the writer, and gradually shift to the main issue which voices up the options for parents of disable child to choose school’s options freely for their children. Muldrow does not let her thoughts and opinion expressing directly through this post. It is a good technique to not interfere readers’ thoughts. In sum, she concludes that as time goes on people do not know what will happen with special education students, but it is certain that many parents are not pleased with the educational support, and want to be able to choose school options freely for their children.

              Personally, I support the new policy and educational options which allow parents the freedom to find services that are rights for their children because parents are the only ones that know exactly what their children need, so parents deserve school options for their children. Schools do not offer a good quality education, why not the parents can deserve a right for school options.

Commentary Article

            Over the past year, lead contamination in water had been addressed over and over. Lead exposure in children can cause decreasing bone and muscle growth, damage to the nervous system and kidneys functions. Lead can cause kidney failure and high blood pressure in adult, especially pregnant women. Many factors can cause lead exposure in drinking water such as lead leaching out of the lead pipes and into the water. Since lead led to many dangerous damages, Congress and many organizations had been stepping up to fix the issue to ensure healthy conditions. School is one of the main places where lead exposure needs to be checked up because this is where kids may spend their time the most. Some schools in Texas are taking action to get lead out of drinking water because some school districts have reported lead contamination in schools’ drinking water. Couples of options have given out such as replacing hundreds of drinking fountains which are over 30 years old, regularly testing lead level in school water and posting results online. These may cost lots of money; therefore Texans are campaigning to ask for funding from Congress and Texas Legislature. 

U.S Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson wrote about lead contamination in Texas schools’ drinking water last week. It is very straight forward and clear about what she wants to address.  She did a very good job when she briefly summarized the topic in general at the beginning. The dangerous damages of lead in drinking water were pointed out in understanding words. This technique really drags readers into the topic, then gradually points out and focus on the effect in Texas. She provided many detailed record numbers as evidences, then tried to explain and voice her opinions based on the evidences. Her reason to prevent lead exposure in school is because school is a place that kids spend most of their time. According to a recent report, 28 out of 116 schools tested were found to have unsafe lead levels (about 25%), so many kids may be affected by lead in water. Since kids are our future hopes, so their health should be taken care of. 

Based on the writer opinion, it seems like she totally aims to support for the funding to take lead out of drinking water in Texas. Personally, I also agree with her opinion which Texas’ government should take actions on this issue to ensure kids’ healthy and safe conditions. The faster the issues are fixed, the better the reductions of the effect of lead contamination. Some schools are taking a good start to regularly test their water for lead. This is not only Texas issue but also the national problem too.

Source:http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/opinion/commentary-lead-contamination-in-texas-schools-dri/nshKn/