Tim Abram is the Associate Policy Director of Educational Opportunity for ExcelinEd.
In late January, Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) launched the Supplementary Special Education Services (SSES) program. This initiative, created with $30 million from the Governor’s Emergency Educational Relief (GEER) fund, will provide online accounts worth $1,500 to students with “significant cognitive disabilities and complex educational needs” to purchase goods and services aimed at combatting COVID-19 induced learning loss. Parents can access educational resources like Occupational Therapy, computer hardware or software, tutoring, speech therapy and other services that have been approved by the TEA. While all parents have found the transition to remote learning difficult, parents of students with disabilities face an entirely unique challenge.
The SSES program represents a vital lifeline to Texas special needs students and parents treading the turbulent waters of remote learning. The SSES program is the latest example of Governors leveraging emergency federal funds to upstand new, student-centered programs. In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt created the “Bridge the Gap Digital Wallet” program, while in Idaho, Gov. Brad Little started the “Strong Families, Strong Students” initiative. Each of these programs provide direct funding to parents and students during an unprecedented time in American education, but the SSES program is novel as it focuses on students with special needs.
Although student eligibility is determined by cognitive disability or complex educational need, more than 18,000 students are eligible for this program, with students who have in financial needs considered a priority. To put that in perspective, that’s almost enough students to fill Madison Square Garden. By checking a few boxes on the TEA online portal, parents can quickly determine their student’s eligibility and access the online marketplace for services after an application has been approved.
Though the SSES program is a one-time investment, it represents a growing shift in the educational landscape to provide students and parents with more choices to customize their education. This year alone, 22 states have introduced legislation that widen the amount of choices parents have for their kid’s education via a tax-credit scholarship, an education scholarship account, or a voucher. While the pandemic may have been the impetus behind many of the bills and the SSES program, the realization by parents that they need more options will outlive the pandemic.
