EarlyStories could not help but be struck by the photo of three special needs children in wheelchairs in the New York Daily News, in an excellent article that described how some disabled children are forced to leave school well before the end of the day. The story found that across the city, these children are boarding buses as much as 40 minutes early, missing valuable instruction time.

The story had the kind of immediate impact that should serve as a reminder of why journalists do the work that we do. Even before the story was published, the New York City Department of Education spokeswoman Margie Feinberg told the Daily News the students would immediately be dismissed at the end of the day -- no earlier.

Still to come is an explanation of why these children were allowed to end their day so much earlier than their classmates.