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Opinion | Michigan scholarship granting organizations poised to support students with disabilities
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Sometimes the gap between a thriving and an unraveling student isn’t motivation or parenting, it’s about whether the right supports exist in a school at the right time. This is particularly true for students with disabilities. Students like Landon.
Landon walked slowly into my office. He was reluctant, but with the promise of a reward after our time together, he came with me. Landon quickly settled in once we started talking about the things he enjoyed: building with Legos, playing outside with his sisters and climbing trees. Given his diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety, and sensory processing challenges, I expected his reluctance, but I did not anticipate the bright smile that would slip out or the stories he could tell me about books he read.
Landon is a 3rd grader. He was not completing written work and often running out of the classroom or lashing out at his teacher. And his behavior was impacting his friendships with his classmates. According to his mother, Landon was making progress with his behavior outside of school, but inside of school, it was escalating. In his small Christian school, the staff did not have the capacity to manage these behaviors much longer.
The school-based evaluation helped to create a profile of strengths and challenges. Landon had very strong visual spatial skills; things he could see and organize made sense to him. Math came easily, as did reading. But writing was so challenging. Landon struggled to form letters correctly, and as the writing demands increased, he fell increasingly behind. This made Landon anxious and quick to respond — and leave the classroom. His behavior was particularly challenging when the classroom was loud, which it often was during writing time.
Landon needed specific instruction to build his graphomotor skills and practice time and reinforcement to strengthen those skills. He needed a quiet place to work and environments adapted for his sensory needs. And Landon needed support in the school setting to help him build his relationships with his classmates.
This is where the challenge comes in. Landon’s small school did not have the resources to support his needs. His teachers were creative with the resources they had, but Landon’s needs were stretching their already-stretched staff.
Stories like this are occurring across the state.
Recently, the Autism Alliance of Michigan released the MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint, detailing the lack of funding for Michigan students with disabilities. The blueprint spelled out several funding suggestions to increase support. What if there were another option to support students with disabilities that did not involve state funding?
The Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program offers taxpayers a credit when they donate to a qualifying Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). The SGOs then provide families with scholarships based on the organization’s criteria. Scholarships could support tutoring, disability-related supports and services, assistive equipment, and more. But only if the governor opts in. These are new federal tax credits that help all K-12 students regardless of where they go to school — public, non-public, or charter.
For families of students with disabilities, the search for the right educational fit is more than a preference; it is a necessity. The difference between a child thriving or slipping through the cracks in a school can come down to whether they have access to the right teachers, tools and individual supports to meet their unique needs.
Fixing the funding issue does not need to be a one-source solution. Suppose Michigan implemented the suggestions in the blueprint and participated in the Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The approach would create a scaffolding of support for students to receive resources both in school and outside of school. Every opportunity to support students and their families should be available.
Unfortunately, we are in an era where educational debates often become political battleground. It is worth remembering that for students with disabilities — and really for every student — the issue is not based on ideology. It is personal, and the goal should be simple: ensure every child receives an education that works for them.
Best practice tells us that Landon needs strategic instruction, support, and accommodations to build his skills in writing, behavior, and relationships. Let’s not miss out on an additional opportunity to contribute to the solution.
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