| Parents of special needs students in the Atlanta | | | | developmental disability (such as Autism or Tourette's |
| Schools rejoiced this past week when Georgia | | | | Syndrome) and have attended public school for at |
| Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law the Georgia | | | | least one year. Estimates are that the program will |
| Special Needs Scholarship bill. Formerly known as | | | | provide $4,000 worth of vouchers in the first year, and |
| Senate Bill 10, the proposed voucher plan has been | | | | that amount will increase to about $15,000 a year. |
| watched closely by parents and educators in Atlanta | | | | Atlanta Schools' educators are expressing some |
| Schools. | | | | mixed feelings over the vouchers. |
| The law will use state funds to offer vouchers to | | | | Proponents say that this is the only way Atlanta |
| parents of children with special needs in order to | | | | Schools can truly meet the needs of these exceptional |
| provide them with more appropriate school options. | | | | learners. It simply isn't possible to have a specialist for |
| Atlanta Schools' teacher, and parent of a child with | | | | every disability at every school. They also point out |
| autism, Linda Bryant Butler expressed her pleasure in a | | | | that Atlanta Schools' teachers already struggle to |
| recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, | | | | meet the needs of students without developmental |
| "...parents like me are ecstatic that we will now have a | | | | delays. |
| choice. If one school doesn't work for Xavier during his | | | | Opponents express concern over both the standards |
| 12-year academic career, I know he won't be trapped. | | | | of private schools, and the removal of funds from the |
| He will have the choice to seek a better education | | | | public school sectors. Atlanta Schools receives |
| elsewhere," she said. | | | | government funding on a per pupil basis, and the loss |
| Parents in Atlanta Schools and throughout the state | | | | of an additional $9,000 (the estimated average |
| will have the option of using vouchers to attend a | | | | voucher payout) per student could weaken the abilities |
| different public school or a private school. In order for a | | | | of the public schools. |
| child to be eligible, he or she must have a documented | | | | |