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WNYC NEWSROOM July 05, 2007 —Parents of children with special education needs want Governor Spitzer to sign a bill that will make it easier for them to get services. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

The bill is aimed at helping parents who claim their children's physical or learning disabilities aren't being addressed in school. In 2005, the US Supreme Court ruled that it's up to families to prove their case - unless state law says otherwise. So, the New York State Assembly and Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation saying it's up to school districts to prove they're serving the children - not the families.

Parents of children with disabilities say this advantage is necessary because they often don't have the legal know-how to fight for their needs. But lawyers for New York City have urged the governor not to sign the bill. The city argues the legislation will give parents more incentive to litigate costly cases. Parent groups say there are only about 1800 of these cases a year and they have a right to hold the city responsible for fully educating their students.

The legislation would not affect parents who are trying to place their children with disabilities in private schools. For WNYC, I'm Beth Fertig.