On the recordJune 28, 2010
It gives me great pleasure to discuss H. Con. Res. 284, legislation to recognize the work and importance of special education teachers in America. In 1972, the United States Supreme Court ruled that children with disabilities have the right to the same quality public school education as their nondisabled peers. To fulfill this promise, in 1975 the United States Congress passed the Education of all Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which we now know as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA, guaranteeing students with disabilities the right to a quality and appropriate public education. It has been almost 40 years that children with special needs were granted the right and opportunity to obtain an education equal to every other child's in our country. IDEA provides these individuals the opportunity to improve their quality of life through education while translating that to job skills in the real world. Speaking as the parent of a child with special needs, I will always be grateful and indebted to the individuals we are honoring in today's resolution.
