Bullies pick on special ed.

• Author: Panza, Joseph
• Position: Letters to the Editor - Letter to the editor

As a decades-long advocate for special-ed rights, I was delighted to see Ruth Conniff's expose ("The GOP Attack on Special Ed," September issue) on the right's continuous assault on these hard-fought rights. Her article calls attention to the need for vigilance.

But she committed an often-made error, I believe unintentional, that there are two distinct sets of parents: special-ed versus non-disabled. In reality, most special-ed parents are also parents of non-disabled children, too. What they want is the best possible educational outcomes for each of their children. They want to know that the "free, appropriate, public education" promised by federal law is met for each child.

By the way, the word "free" has always been problematic. It...