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Special education complaints jump in Michigan, as odds stacked against parents

HOWELL, Mich. (AP) — Records show that parents of Michigan students who receive special education services are increasingly having to fight for services that are supposed to be guaranteed by law. Since 2018, state investigations stemming from parent complaints jumped 21%, while the overall population of special education students has increased just 3.6%. Michigan has one of the nation’s highest rates of special education drop outs, and advocates say the system is stacked against parents. The Michigan Department of Education says it investigates complaints and when it finds noncompliance the agency has methods in place to verify that districts take corrective actions in a timely manner.

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