A multimillion-dollar computer system brought in to help save D.C.’s failing special education program doesn’t work with existing school software, and city officials are scrambling to account for thousands of vital records ahead of a crucial audit, The Examiner has learned.
Earlier this year, the District signed a $4.2 million contract with the Public Consulting Group for help in organizing thousands of chaotically stored special education files and tracking federal deadlines for updating those files. But e-mails obtained by The Examiner show that the group’s computer tracking system isn’t compatible with the system’s enrollment database.
This means officials can’t access information on thousands of children.
The special education system currently is being audited by an outside firm, but e-mails show school officials have all but given up on providing accurate information for the review.
“I spoke with our auditor and basically we will take whatever can be provided,” D.C. State Superintendent analyst Phillip Chang wrote to his staff in a Thursday e-mail. “The special education does not absolutely need to be reconciled with [the enrollment database], though not reconciling would result in more errors …”
D.C.’s $300 million special education system has been in free fall for decades because officials routinely miss federal deadlines in testing and treating disabled or ill children. Mayor Adrian Fenty and his schools chancellor, Michelle Rhee, have promised to make special education reform their top priority.
But a revolving door of outside experts and high-tab special-ed “czars” have struggled to make a dent. Over the summer, Rhee was ripped by a federal court monitor for losing focus on the special-education crisis.
Blown special-ed deadlines cost taxpayers tens of millions in lawsuits and hundreds of millions more when, having lost the suits, the schools are forced to pay to ship students to private schools and clinics around the country.
Rhee declined comment for this story. State Superintendent’s spokeswoman Nicole Shaffer didn’t respond to requests for comment.
