A bill half way to the governor’s desk is asking state lawmakers to approve pulling special-education teachers out of their offices and putting them in the general classroom.

Senate Bill 1317 received unanimous support from the full Senate this week.  Republican Sen. and former school-board president Kate Brophy McGee dubbed it her “favorite bill” as it passed through the Education Committee. 

Advocates say it will help all children rather than focus solely on students with medically-diagnosed learning disabilities. 

They argued when a child is struggling, a principal could reassign the student to the special-education teacher’s roster, just as a doctor would redirect a patient to a specialist. 

But, critics of the bill predict that with current class sizes near and above 30 students, special-education students will get lost and the state will jeopardize their legally protected right to an education.  

The bill is now in the House waiting for approval.