Monday, November 06, 2023
New York Tightens Special Education Rules, Aiming to Reduce Fraud
Over the last decade, New York City has faced a startling rise in requests to pay for special education services for private school students, a deluge that has cost billions of dollars and raised concerns about fraud.
The requests have disproportionately come from Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, where private education companies have sometimes billed for services that were not needed, or even provided, The New York Times reported last year.
Now the city has a plan to step up oversight.
This week, officials announced that before agreeing to fulfill new requests, they will insist on proof that the student's family actually wants the aid and that the services will be provided by qualified professionals. They added they will no longer pay more than $125 an hour for the services, unless ordered to do so.
The changes represent a major shift. For years, officials have agreed to almost all requests, even when it meant paying exorbitant rates to inexperienced providers.
Liz Vladeck, general counsel for the New York City Department of Education, said in a letter to state officials, lawyers and special education organizations on Wednesday that the city was obligated to ensure that the requests for services were legitimate and, "most of all, that those services indeed provide children with what they need to succeed in school."
She described the new measures as "basic, low-bar controls."
The city declined to comment on the letter.
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