Florida ramping up a new round of eugenics.
The Florida Board of Education voted to sunset certificates of completion for students with disabilities who attend K-12 schools in the state. These certificates were awarded to students who couldn’t complete the coursework needed for a diploma.
Under a new Florida law, HB 1105, and the board’s vote, students with disabilities will no longer be able to get a certificate of completion at the end of their school career, starting this year. Students with severe disabilities who can’t earn a standard high school diploma, will leave school without any formal recognition upon graduation.
Amy Van Bergen ran the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida and is also the mom of a son with disabilities. She said her son Will wouldn’t have been able to get the two jobs he works at a law office without his certificate, and she’s worried for other students like him.
People with disabilities already have a higher rate of unemployment and a lower rate of job placement after school. Now, without a certificate of completion, securing employment could be even harder.
“Without that certificate, they are potentially going to lose eligibility to all sorts of opportunities after high school, whether that’s even taking a college placement test or pursuing developmental or vocational programs,” said Van Bergen.