What's a Monitor to Do?

Have you ever seen the commercial currently running on television where a man is in a dental chair and a couple of people are mentioning how much dental work needs to be done and they comment that they are heading to lunch? The incredulous patient says, in essence, "are you going to do the dental work?" The two people say "no, we are just monitoring what is to take place."

I mention this because the Monitor that the State of IL has appointed to oversee the Special Education program in CPS schools may well find herself/himself in the very same boat.

That is, what power do they really have to affect change in programs and, more importantly, to affect what takes place in each of the many schools with the Special Education students and teachers? The Monitor will certainly need certain authorities that extend beyond the Administration level of CPS. If that person or persons don't have the proper abilities to make changes then this will go for naught.

Otherwise the Special Education students and parents will be left much like the patient in the dental chair.

Dick