Special education will be examined Thursday night in Monroe County.
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education is holding a forum on special education in new Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' administration.
The conversation will put stakeholders — parents, children and educators — all in one room from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Monroe County Public Library.
They will discuss topics including advocating for children who need programs in the classroom, giving families resources inside and outside of the school system and certifying special education teachers, according to a release from the ICPE.
According to data from the National Center for Education in 2010, 15.2 percent of students in Indiana are children with disabilities and require special education.
Speakers at the panel will include Kathrina Cox, a special education teacher in the Monroe County Community School Corporation, Janet Decker, professor of educational leadership and policy studies in the IU School of Education and Paula Teague, a regional program specialist with IN*Source, a parent organization that provides training and information to the state of Indiana.
After the discussion, they will move into a moderated question and answer with the audience.
Katelyn Haas
