School board members assess these problems in the context of their own communities. School boards are responsive to local conditions and interests because they are accountable to parents and taxpayers. The commission s hasty proposal is contrary to current practice and scholarship that supports school reforms such as charter schools that are free from excessive regulation and state control. The problem with centralized educational programs is that they become rigid, rule-bound systems that fail to recognize differences among communities and individual students. Special education is an example of a top-down system that emphasizes bureaucratic processes impenetrable to local control.
Special education is burdened by costs and litigation unrelated to the needs of children.
As costs have skyrocketed, citizens and local officials have little means of holding special education programs accountable for results. State controlled bargaining has also been mentioned at your meetings. Local negotiations are greatly influenced by demographics, economics and the location of school districts. In districts with a preponderance of young teachers, salary and benefit settlements look vastly different from settlements in districts that have more senior staff members. Moreover, the location of districts also influences local contracts and salary schedules.