Wauwatosa Mother Asks Legislators to Support Special-Needs Vouchers

A Wauwatosa woman pleaded with the Joint Finance Committee to support a special needs vouchers program after she said the Wauwatosa School District failed her son.

Susan Giaimo’s son, who has autism, has attended the Wauwatosa School District since kindergarten. Giaimo and her husband are attempting to sell their house so they can move to a different school district where their son could attend middle school with a better chance to succeed, Giaimo said.

Giaimo told her story at the Joint Finance Committee hearing on the state budget held Thursday at Greendale High School.

The hearing was the first of four being held around the state to give residents the chance to have their say on Gov. Scott Walker’s 2013-15 budget. After the hearings, the committee will vote on any changes before sending their version on to the Assembly and Senate.

The proposed budget would allow 5 percent of children with disabilities to attend private school or public schools outside their districts on taxpayer money, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

About 14 percent of Wisconsin public school children are identified to have disabilities and private schools have less than 2 percent students with disabilities enrolled, according to Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.

Giaimo told committee members that she felt Wauwatosa teachers did not understand her son’s autism and weren’t properly trained to give him the appropriate education.

"He has attended public schools in Wauwatosa since kindergarten and the district has consistently has failed to provide my son with an appropriate education as required under the idea of the law,” said Giaimo.

Giaimo said Wauwatosa staff has failed to follow Individualized Education Programs goals and his curriculum. The family attempted to sue the school district in order "to get the education services he needs and was entitled." However, Giaimo said, attorney costs were too high and was instead advised to move into a different district.

In regards to passing the special-needs voucher she said, "This is a matter of civil rights and equality and fairness."

Earlier in the meeting, a Brookfield woman asked the opposite of the committee. Sally Flaschberger, whose son has physical and learning disabilities, asked the committee to take the special-needs voucher program out of the budget because there will be no rights under the IDEA.