Ed Markey: “this past Saturday marked 50 years since the passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975. Before…”

“this past Saturday marked 50 years since the passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975. Before IDEA, children with disabilities were often institutionalized or excluded from classrooms, deprived of the support needed to achieve their God-given potential. IDEA changed that by guaranteeing every child, regardless of ability, the right to a free and appropriate public education. The IDEA said that every child--every child--is worthy of reaching their full potential and that the Federal Government ought to provide the resources to make that possible. Massachusetts, the birthplace of public education, first passed a State law, section 766, which established the high legal standard that would be adapted and expanded federally as IDEA. I was proud to vote for that bill, section 766, as a State representative--one of my first votes in my career. That bill then became the law for the entire country. In the decades since the IDEA became Federal law, students, parents, educators, administrators, and support staff have worked tirelessly to deliver the promise of a world-class education to millions of students with disabilities. But far too many students with disabilities are still waiting for their shot at a meaningful education. The Federal Government committed to funding 40 percent of the cost to school districts of implementing the IDEA, but Congress has never fully funded special education.”