Robin J. Lake

Unique Schools Serving Unique Students: Charter Schools and Children with Special Needs Robin J. Lake

Unique Schools Serving Unique Students (Robin Lake, editor) offers a pioneering look at the role of charter schools in meeting the needs of special education students. The book addresses choices made at the intersection of two very important policy arenas in education: special education and charter schools. Drawing lessons from parent surveys and case studies, this volume poses and addresses a number of important questions that have received limited attention to date: How many students with disabilities attend charter schools? How do parents choose schools for their children with special needs and how satisfied are they with their choices? What innovations are coming out of the charter school sector that might be models for public education writ large? Finally, what challenges and opportunities do charter schools bring to special education? Written for education generalists and policy leaders, the contributors provide vivid examples of innovative practices. They also make specific recommendations for the policy action, technical supports, and further research required to promote more widespread adoption of the special education practices we see in effective charter schools.