Polis statement on Supreme Court's decision in support of students with special needs

Press Release

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., released the following statement today on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District rejecting the lower court's analysis regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and upholding the original intent of the critical legislation:

"The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was passed to ensure that every child in America, including those with special needs, receives the great education they deserve," Polis said. "The Supreme Court's unanimous decision today confirms and clarifies the rights that parents have. This is a win for our public education system and a win for every student with special needs across the country. In order to effectively implement the Supreme Court's decision, schools need adequate funding. Since IDEA's passage, Congress has consistently failed to meet its funding commitment to students and the schools that serve them. Now more than ever, it's imperative that Congress take steps to fully fund IDEA so that schools can meet the "appropriately ambitious" bar set by the courts and truly meet the learning needs of all students."

Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District centered on Endrew F., an autistic fifth grade student who attended a private school because his parents deemed the public school education system inadequate to meet his learning needs. The parents sued the school district to pay for his private school tuition.

In November, Polis joined several members of Congress in filing an amicus brief in support of Endrew F.

Rep. Jared Polis serves the Second Congressional District of Colorado, which consists of several Front Range and Western Slope communities. In Congress, Polis is on the Committee on Rules, Committee on Education and the Workforce, Committee on Ethics, and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. In addition, he is the top Democrat on the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee and a member of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee.

Before serving in Congress, Polis was the Chair of the Colorado State Board of Education, and the founder and former superintendent of the New America School system for new immigrants - as well as the Academy for Urban Learning for homeless and at-risk youth.

Polis, is the founder of several startups and tech companies, including ProFlowers.com and Techstars, a startup accelerator. He has been named an "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst and Young.

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