About one in every six children enrolled in Delaware’s public schools is impacted by some type of disability. The challenges these kids face run the entire gamut, from kids who just need a little extra help to kids with severe physical and developmental disabilities that present huge obstacles to overcome. But the one thing these kids have in common is that Delaware is not educating them in a way that will allow them to fulfill their potential when they become adults.

Delaware has the benefit of outstanding teachers and other professionals who work with our disabled children every day. But Delaware uses the minimum federal standard in determining what those professionals are permitted to do to educate kids with disabilities. That standard, word for word, from a federal court opinion: “Children with disabilities are not entitled to a Cadillac education, but they are entitled to the equivalent of a serviceable Chevrolet.”

Matt believes we would never, ever, ever accept that standard of education for children who are not impacted by disabilities and it shouldn’t be acceptable for kids with disabilities. His goal is literally to raise the bar: to follow the example of at least six other states that have decided to reject the minimum federal standards and aim higher for their children with disabilities.

Diagnose disabilities early. Delaware must make extraordinary efforts to diagnose developmental and other disabilities as early as possible in a child’s life, because treatment of those disabilities at a very early age can have a profound impact on a child’s ability to overcome his or her disability. That can be done by implementing a standardized developmental screening test for use by pediatricians, and requiring Medicaid and private insurance coverage for the administration of the test. This test already exists, is extremely inexpensive, and will allow pediatricians to diagnose and begin treatment of developmental disabilities before children enter their toddler years.

Raise the bar. Delaware should adopt a formal state policy that sets a higher bar for how we educate our students with disabilities. At least six other states have set standards that are based on supporting students in fulfilling their potential. The official goal should not be a “serviceable” education for kids with disabilities, it should be to provide them with an education that will help them to fulfill their individual potential, whatever that may be given the nature of their disability. Costs of these changes could be paid for with the cost-savings Matt has proposed as part of his education plan. Children with disabilities to be able to use their education to join the workforce and attain a wage for the work that they do.

Guide parents. The rules and procedures that parents have to go through to ensure that their children with disabilities are getting the support they need are nearly impossible to comprehend for those without legal training. As a result, many kids don’t get the support they need and deserve. Delaware already has a Parent Information Center, that seeks to empower and support parents navigate this process. Matt wants to significantly expand the state’s ability to support parents look out for their kids, by working with Widener University Law School to set up a clinical program that will permit law students to help the parents of students with disabilities understand the process and look out for their kids.

Streamline the funding formula. Matt knows Delaware needs to rethink and simplify the formula that our state uses for funding special education. The system, as it is currently set up, forces schools to shoehorn children into funding categories that they don’t necessarily fit into, and it literally forces schools to ask for special education funds that are earmarked for areas where the child might not really need them, while denying the school funds for services a child really does need. This is wasteful and ultimately not helpful for kids with disabilities.

Better use existing federal funds. Delaware has a fragile state economy and a strapped state budget, so we must be careful about proposing new programs that will strain the state’s funds. However, some proposals for the use of federal Medicaid waivers to increase the likelihood that a family can care for a child with severe disabilities at home rather than in an institutional setting could be revenue neutral or even less expensive for the state as they are implemented. Matt believes Delaware should take a close look at the experience of other states that have taken these steps to see if we can do so here as well.