Special Education for General Ed Teachers
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Public Schools and Charter Schools
Every child in the United States is entitled to a free and appropriate public education under federal law. As a result, public schools and charter schools have specific obligations to educate all students, regardless of whether they have a disability.
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Private Schools
Students enrolled in private schools due to family preference are provided with the education their private school chooses to provide. In general, private schools do not have to meet the educational needs of students with disabilities. That doesn't mean that private schools do not enroll students with disabilities, it just means that their legal obligations are different.
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There are a variety of laws that control how public and charter schools meet the needs of their students with disabilities. Click here for a discussion of the laws and legal terms that you may encounter.
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General education teachers encounter a wide variety of disabilities, some of which are visible and some of which are not. Click here for commonly and not-so-commonly encountered disabilities in a K-12 classroom and a discussion of how they are addressed by special education law.
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Classroom teachers are students' and parents' primary contact with the school system. As a result, they play an important role in securing disabled students' access to education. Schools have a network of supports available for students with disabilities, and understanding that system is important to understanding what special education responsibilities general education teachers have. Click here for a summary of the structure of special education in a public school system and how responsibilites are typically divided.
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The way that students are identified as disabled and how their needs are met is through a formal process defined by state and local law. Click here to learn more about how that process happens.
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All teachers, regardless of where they teach, can integrate inclusive teaching techniques to meet the needs of students with disabilities without a formal request to do so. Click here for resources related to common inclusive teaching strategies, including UDL strategies and inclusive practices.
Many general education teachers have only received minimal training on teaching students with disabilities. Click here for a list of commonly asked questions and answers.