I will add this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

What is not mentioned... We get kids that have disabilities so
severe that they cannot learn. They have a very small amount
of brain function. They just drool in wheelchairs. I feel sorry for
them and for their parents but they need to be in a hospital.

We dont have the proper facilities, so their parents use this to
their advantage. No hospital costs, they are in school. AT the school
I used to teach in the Science people shared a floor with the Spec.
Ed. They moved most of us out because the labs had plumbing so
they could refurbish and turn into bathrooms to wash up the kids.
The bottom floor of that school was in essence a ward for the severely disabled.
Bedpans, diapers, the works.

Then you get all these people saying look how much we pay per
kid. Its ridiculous.They dont realize the avg. kid is not getting the avg. amount.
It is wildly distributed with the most money going to the
"problem" kids. People also dont realize that the many state and fed. govs.
basically ask public schools to act as a surrogate family. It has changed
drastically in my 20+ years. If I had to start all over again, I would have
never switched from research to teaching. The only thing that continues to
save me is I teach a tough elective (Physics) in a suburban school.
I have seen what goes on with new teachers in bad urban schools.
They throw them to the wolves and they are out... most within 3 years.
Revolving door babysitting.
But the babies are basically young adults.
They do more than cry.