It seems change is in the air with parents of special needs children. For years the education ?experts? told us that ?inclusion? or ?mainstreaming? special education students was best for all.  It seems now that parents want special program designed specifically for the needs of their children. Excellent article in the Wall Street Journal reports on this issue.
Back in the late 1990s, while serving on the Charlotte Board of Education, an ?expert? from the Department of Education nearly closed Metro School. Metro School only serves ?significantly cognitively disabled.? The Washington, bureaucrat ?elite? called the school into question suggesting we were ?segregating? these children.  The parents of Metro School rose up, stormed several school board meetings, and their voice was heard. In the end the school board was ?allowed? to keep the school open, since the system provided ?main streaming? in other schools.
Metro is a wonderful school, which has one of the lowest teacher turnover rates.  The reason lies in the fact, everyone works with a common, narrow vision, and wants to be there. The school is not tying to be all things to all people.
It will be interesting to see how parents embracing this ?new? reform will change education policy, in spite of special education ?advocacy? groups. 
Again another reason for school choice: Families need a wide range of providers in order to best meet the diverse needs of each child.