Mazie Hirono: “Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 284, which recognizes the work and importance of…”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 284, which recognizes the work and importance of special education teachers in our public education system. They serve a unique role in our country's schools, and their hard work equips students with disabilities with high-quality instruction and important lifelong skills. The historic ruling in Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia ruled that all students with disabilities must be offered a public education regardless of the cost, and it was critical in setting the stage for our current special education system. Today, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act upholds this legacy by working to ensure the education of all students with disabilities. It is important for us to continue working towards equal access to education for more than 6.6 million American students. More than 370,000 dedicated, hardworking, and highly professional special education teachers currently serve our Nation's students. These teachers educate students with many different disabilities, helping those with learning disabilities, autism, combined deafness and blindness, traumatic brain injuries, hearing, visual, speech, language or orthopaedic impairments, and other types of health impairments.”