A.D.E. – Audacity to Dare to Educate

Response to The Inquirer Article: "Secretive Special Education Settlements Cost School Districts Millions"

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

The recent article published by The Philadelphia Inquirer lays bare a painful, persistent truth: our special education system is broken — and too often, families are left to bear the cost, emotionally, financially, and psychologically. A.D.E. – Audacity to Dare to Educate, our mission is to Close the Equity Gap in Special Education One Unique Mind at a Time. This article does not simply expose the financial cost of settlements in affluent districts; it reveals the human cost of a system that forces families to fight for what should already be guaranteed — a free, appropriate, and equitable education.

The Danger of Shaming Parents Into IEP Evaluation

This article underscores a disturbing pattern: families, especially in more affluent areas, are investing immense energy and resources to receive services their children desperately need — services that are supposed to be legally mandated. To shame or pressure parents into seeking an IEP, without equipping them with the knowledge, resources, and advocacy support they need, is not only irresponsible — it’s harmful.

Yes, we want families to feel empowered to uncover their children's neurodivergent identities. But this empowerment must be rooted in education, transparency, and community, not guilt or coercion. Parents deserve to know not only that their child needs support, but what specific services are necessary, and assurance that they are being provided to educators who are properly trained and certified in their specific needs. That is where A.D.E. steps in. We stand with families as informed advocates — not just pushing for identification, but demanding implementation, accountability, and transformation.

Settlements Are Not Solutions

The idea that moving to a “better” zip code will resolve education inequities is shattered by this article. If wealthy districts like Radnor Township, Tredyffrin/Easttown, and Central Bucks are paying upwards of $5 million each in secret settlements over just three years — without making meaningful systemic changes — then what is happening in less affluent districts like Philadelphia should truly boggle the mind. According to the article, Philadelphia has had 2,473 settlements over a three-year period — a number that dwarfs even the most well-resourced districts. The true financial cost is unknown, but the trauma to families is immeasurable.

These secret settlements are not victories — they are band-aids on bullet wounds. They are a strategy for districts to silence dissent, evade accountability, and avoid the reforms desperately needed in curriculum, staff training, and instructional practices. In many cases, teachers themselves are begging for training in evidence-based programs, yet are being denied.

The Unaccounted Cost: Pain and Suffering

What remains invisible — and incalculable — is the pain and suffering endured by neurodivergent students and their families. The years spent fighting school districts become years lost in a child’s academic and emotional development. Families become exhausted, isolated, and traumatized — not because their children are neurodivergent, but because they are systematically denied support by those who claim to serve them. This process erodes trust — not just in schools, but in the very idea of education as a place of safety, growth, and inclusion. Children begin to distrust the adults meant to teach them. Parents lose faith in the institutions meant to protect them. That betrayal is profound, and its consequences are long-lasting.

Our Commitment

A.D.E. is not here to shame. We are here to support, equip, and advocate. We work to:

• Help families understand their rights and options.

• Decode complex IEP processes and legal language.

• Clarify which services and supports are evidence-based and necessary.

• Advocate for proper training and certification for educators.

• Provide trauma-informed care and support for families during and after these battles.

Let this article serve as a wake-up call. The problem is not just in one zip code. It is not a matter of resources — it is a matter of will. Until all students — regardless of race, zip code, diagnosis, or income — receive the education they are entitled to without litigation, settlement, or shame, we will not be silent.

Signed,

Shakela Y.M. Strawberry, Founder/CEO

A.D.E. – Audacity to Dare to Educate

Closing the Equity Gap in Special Education One Unique Mind at a Time