How Protecting Special Education Shifted Cuts to General Ed
Special education's share of school budgets increased during and after the Great Recession. That sounds like good news: districts prioritizing their most vulnerable students.[1]
But the story is more complicated than it appears.
The Share Paradox
When we say a "share" increased, we usually imagine an active choice. Someone decided to allocate more resources to special education.
That's not what happened.
Special education's share increased not because special ed spending went up faster, bu
Dec 2025
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Education Policy