Education Flip Side

The latest cover story on Santa Barbara schools, while informative and comprehensive for the majority of students, failed to mention anything about special education or S.B.’s population of students with disabilities and what is available to them and their families. This is a small population, yet there was no mention of any program that is offered in the schools or community that provides individualized instruction for those with developmental, intellectual, and emotional disabilities. The Santa Barbara Independent missed an opportunity to shed light on another side of education, the side that many people ignore or don’t know about. There is a growing number of students with disabilities, including autism, nationwide and right here in our community. It is a pressing and sensitive issue that needs to be addressed and reported on because families are looking for support, guidance, and resources to best help their children here in S.B.

GATE programs, AP classes, Engineering Academies, and college counseling are imperative to ensure the next generation of grads are successful beyond high school. However, there are students out there who will never be in GATE, or enroll in an AP class, or graduate from a university. There is a whole sector of students that are equally deserving of an education, and those families should have choices, too. The Independent is a progressive publication, serving a progressive community, and therefore should be more responsible in covering the whole picture and not leave out those who need recognition, too.