Public Schools Can’t Serve All Students

* The parents of Jeremy Wartenberg insist that the Capistrano Unified School District assume full financial responsibility to educate their son, whose educational and behavioral disabilities required a private-school setting (“Ruling Renews Debate About Special Education,” July 23).

It saddens me to see yet another example in today’s society of individuals wanting to place onto “the system” responsibilities which are, at least in part, their own.

I understand, from 25 years of experience as a high school English teacher who has a reputation of success with students with disabilities, just how difficult it can be for these students to function at school. I am more than willing to take on this challenge because I, like the Wartenbergs, strongly believe in making every effort to provide education to everyone who enters my classroom.

However, I still believe that there is a limit to the extent to which a school is responsible for the education of everyone who walks in the door. At some point, parents have to see the big picture, framed by limited public financing for “education for all.” At some point, parents have to acknowledge that public schools can successfully educate a fairly large portion of society but not the few who are too far outside the norm. At some point, we all have to take responsibility for ourselves and our children.

I know how difficult, even heartbreaking, it is for parents to admit that their child either cannot or will not function successfully in public schools. But in the final analysis, we can’t expect “the system” to be all things to all people.

Until schools receive greater funding and can thus deliver a greater variety of services, the sad but true fact is that some students are beyond the scope of public education. The parents of these few must accept the various responsibilities created by this difficult reality. They must at least share with the schools the tremendous cost of educating their very unique child in the very unique environment necessary to ensure success for that one student. Such action is only fair to the education of all.

ANITA DOBBS

Laguna Beach