Some education advocates in New York are out with recommendations to protect preschool special education programs. WAMC’s Dave Lucas reports.
The groups Advocates for Children of New York and the Alliance for Quality Education are worried that recent reports of costly fraud by some providers could jeopardize the programs.
At a news conference in Albany Thursday, they encouraged the state to vigorously audit programs and improve financing procedures.
The preschool special education program serves 3- to 5-year-olds with developmental delays or other disabilities. It's been under scrutiny following a series of recent audits by the state comptroller's office that found some private contractors had cheated the system out of millions of dollars.
Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office is now doing a top-to-bottom audit of the state education department's oversight and management of special education.
- © 2012 The Associated Press.