**Report Exposes Flaws in Connecticut’s Special Education System, Hindering Student Support**

Flaws in Connecticut’s special education system are impeding the state’s ability to provide adequate services to students, according to a report released Wednesday by state Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker.

Russell-Tucker commissioned the report six months ago amid concerns that the state wasn’t doing enough to support students with disabilities. The findings affirmed many of those worries, revealing a system struggling with staffing shortages, arduous data collection software, and a widespread lack of confidence in how disputes are resolved.

As a result, children may struggle to access the resources they require for a free adequate public education—a legal standard also known as FAPE.

> “We didn’t do this because we thought we were going to get a report that says, ‘You’re doing everything well,’” Russell-Tucker told the State Board of Education at its meeting Wednesday. “That was not the point.
>
> We did this because it was a need to make sure that we understand and uncover where the challenges are, so we can literally be having this conversation today, very clearly and concisely, about what it is our next steps need to be,” she added.

Representatives from WestEd, a consulting group, conducted the evaluation and presented the findings alongside Russell-Tucker at Wednesday’s meeting. Several individuals also shared views on the report during a public comment period.

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### Concerns from Advocates and Attorneys

Andrew Feinstein, an attorney who represents children with disabilities and a founding member of the group Special Education Equity for Kids in Connecticut, called the report “devastating.”

> “The fundamental problem appears to be that the Bureau of Special Education sees itself primarily as a conduit to transmit district-generated data to the federal Department of Education. It does not see itself as accountable to parents and teachers. The bureau is ineffective in improving results for students,” Feinstein told the board.

Kathryn Meyer, an attorney with the Center for Child Advocacy who works with low-income families, shared similar concerns.

> “Right now too many of our clients are sending their children with disabilities to school—our most vulnerable students—worried not just about the quality of their education, but their child’s safety and supervision. We are seeing district by district unable to provide adequate staffing support to meet their basic needs, and our children are paying the price,” Meyer wrote in an email to the Connecticut Mirror.

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### A Limited Bright Spot

The report did find one bright spot: Connecticut routinely meets federal targets regarding special education. However, Feinstein cautioned that the state sets these targets itself.

> “If the state sets and meets a low target, the federal government won’t see a problem, even if a large number of kids still aren’t receiving adequate support,” he said.

This “blind spot” is what Russell-Tucker said she sought to clarify by commissioning the report.

Rorie Fitzpatrick of WestEd praised the commissioner for taking a proactive approach.

> “This was not a compelled endeavor. The compulsion here was a commitment to results for students,” Fitzpatrick told the board.

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### Recommendations to Improve the System

The report includes four categories of recommendations for the state Department of Education:

1. **Define the State’s Vision**
Better define the state’s vision for students with disabilities to ensure everyone in the system understands the goals and mission.

2. **Streamline Staff and Workflows**
Map out and streamline how staff and workflows are organized across the system.

3. **Address Staffing Shortages**
Coordinate more effectively within the department to tackle widespread staffing shortages.

4. **Strengthen Legal Oversight and Transparency**
Improve oversight and transparency in how the state handles disputes between parents and schools.

This last category is especially vital for families who feel schools are not adequately assisting children with disabilities due to staff shortages, improper Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), or other issues.

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### Challenges with Dispute Resolution

Currently, the most accessible option for low-income parents is the state’s administrative complaint process. While this process is free, Feinstein noted it suffers from extended delays and legally questionable outcomes, making it a less reliable recourse.

Meyer echoed these concerns.

> “We have experiences with cases where corrective action has not been fully monitored or enforced, and that’s something that we continue to urge [the state Department of Education] to really take a look at,” she said.
> “Corrective action is not meaningful if a district doesn’t think it’s going to be required in a timely manner.”

Meyer also expressed surprise at the report’s data showing a low number of complaints filed across the state.

> “That was surprising and doesn’t align with my experience,” she said.

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### Legal Expertise and Due Process Recommendations

The report advises hiring a legal expert to support investigators in analyzing findings, ensuring legal integrity, and determining appropriate corrective actions.

> “A lot of investigators have a lot of experience and want to do well by these families, but having someone with a legal lens to support them in that process, I think, is really critical,” Meyer said.

For families who can afford legal representation, there is also the option of “due process,” where disputes unresolved with school districts are brought before impartial hearing officers, akin to court magistrates.

However, the report revealed widespread mistrust in the competence of Connecticut’s hearing officers, citing doubts about their knowledge of federal and state law.

To address this, the report recommends:

– Establishing clear criteria for hearing officer competence.
– Making these criteria transparent to the public to rebuild trust.
– Providing guidance to parents without legal representation to help them navigate the process.

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### Calls for Urgent Action

Feinstein urged the State Board of Education to read the report carefully and demand fundamental changes.

> “The mission is not to passively collect data, but to enhance the education of students with disabilities,” he said.

Meyer agreed, emphasizing the need to prioritize stakeholder voices.

> “At its most fundamental level, [the Department of Education] needs to prioritize the voices of parents, students, and educators by following through on WestEd’s recommendations, particularly around monitoring and enforcement of children’s legal rights to a meaningful and safe education,” she wrote.
> “Urgent action and accountability are needed.”

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The report’s findings highlight critical issues within Connecticut’s special education system, urging state leaders to take decisive steps to ensure that all students with disabilities receive the support and education they deserve.
https://ctmirror.org/2026/01/14/report-problems-persist-in-ct-special-ed-system-despite-federal-compliance/