“Why is this child in public school anyway? What about the needs of the other children?”
Indeed. It costs many multiples of what is spent on a normal or even a gifted child to give what amounts to custodial care to children like these. But schools are forced by the federal government to make these enormous expenditures in the name of “education” for children who can’t possibly learn. Some, but not all, of the extra expenses are reimbursed by the feds. But, again, these are resources being taken from the taxpayer and spent, basically, to provide very expensive day care for severely handicapped children. I’m sure it is a relief to the parents. But there is absolutely no return to the taxpayers from these “investments in education,” which is how the public education system is usually sold.
Indeed, and the cost of this sort of thing has forced many public schools to eliminate or never start programs for gifted children — you know, those unimportant smarty-pants who might actually grow up to find preventions and cures for severe disabilities IF their high abilities are developed through appropriate education.
But there is absolutely no return to the taxpayers from these “investments in education,”
I view these activities as the neoliberals' version of 'No Child Left Behind'. And which actually leave all the other students in such a class a little more behind academically.