ABSTRACT
Barry Marks works as a program specialist in a relatively small school district in California serving a largely rural school population of 30,000 students. The creation of 500 new posts in California with the title ‘program specialist’ was an indirect result of the passing of Public Law 94-142 by the Federal Government of the USA which directed each State to provide an education for all handicapped children in the least restrictive educational environment compatible with their educational needs. Following the passing of the Federal Law each State formulated its own law which specified the manner in which the law would be implemented in the State’s school system. California, the largest and richest State, surpassed the Federal Law in terms of the spirit and cost of implemention of its own legislation. The job of program specialist was one of the posts created by the State in its attempt to go beyond PL 94-142.
