Saturday, February 04, 2012

The MPS Special Ed Lawsuit Decision

This is a very big decision, but it all hinges on a technicality--the definition of the class--rather than the substance. The interesting thing now is what the three parties do next:
1. MPS: what it keeps and what it doesn't from the plan if it is not under the court order. My impression is that there is a lot of good in that plan, particularly in identifying students that need extra assistance in reading and math, and having differentiated instruction. If done well that should help all students.
2. DPI: what does it do now that its settlement has been thrown out?
3. Plaintiffs: can they redefine the class more narrowly as suggested in the dissent? At this late date, does that make any sense?