Suggesting that the current law provides more rights for children with disabilities exploits the understandable frustration of parents who see inadequate resources devoted to public education. We as parents of typical children too, feel this frustration on both sides of the educational coin. What is out of control is the allocation of funds, and the Commonwealth's dismal record of supporting public education. Out of the entire country, the Massachusetts government ranks 46th in the amount of funds allocated to public education. Nationally, other states on average provide 3 times more funds for these same services.
Federal programs make up the difference.
Once you compare these funding differences, you can see why Massachusetts' school districts are in crisis. This state does not support its education funding the way the rest of the country does. But these numbers are not measuring the same groups. Massachusetts' percentage is based on a population of children from 3 to 22 years old. The national percentages are bases on a population of children from 5 to 18 years old.