 |  |  |  |  |  |
Individual Education Plan (IEP) Help By Cindy E. Chandler
Protecting the IDEA
There was a time when special education and parent rights did not exist and
must have seemed like an impossible goal. Imagine a program designed for your
child’s individual needs. Parents dreamed about the right to a free and
appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Parents that came
before us struggled with Congress to enact the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) – the blueprint for special education. We thank them each
and every school day for their work.
But now IDEA comes up for reauthorization this year and there are serious
threats to IDEA. If H.R. 1350 “Improving Education Results for Children with
Disabilities Act” becomes law, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
(DREDF) states that the bill will weaken “IDEA in sweeping ways and will harm
children with disabilities.” It’s now our turn to keep IDEA intact, become informed
about what’s going on in Congress and take action.
Here are a few things that the proposed IDEA bill would do:
Extend IEPs to 3 years and delete short-term objective and
benchmarks. This would gut the civil rights protections of IDEA and
remove school accountability for educating children with
disabilities.
· Permits the development of state voucher programs that would
send some students with disabilities to private schools that are not
accountable under the law.
· Give schools unilateral power to transfer students to alternative
settings for violating school rules.
· Eliminate Manifest Determination reviews
· Eliminate requirement for functional behavior assessments
· Eliminate requirements for positive behavior support plans
· Add one-month waiting period before any parent complaint could
go to due process regardless of the problem or issue
· Creates option of “voluntary binding arbitration” which would not
provide any appeal path for parents or students
· Diverts funds away from direct services to children with
disabilities and allows money to be used for a new pre-referral
program, to supplant local education funds, to provide
“supplemental services,” and to be used for purposes other than
the provision of services.
What to Do
Immediately call or FAX or EMAIL the members of Congress who sit on the House
Committee on Education and the Workforce. Listed below are the California
members. For a full listing of the members contact us at scpn@scpn.orgt and we
will email a listing.
George Miller, California
(Ranking Minority Member)
Washington, DC: (202) 225-2095
FAX: 202-225-5609
EMAIL: george.miller@mail.house.gov
Concord District Office: (925) 602-1880
Richmond District Office: (510) 262-6500
Vallejo District Office: (925) 602-1880
Susan Davis, California
Washington, DC: 202-225-2040
FAX: 202-225-2948
EMAIL: susan.davis@mail.house.gov
San Diego Office: 619-280-5353
Lynn C. Woolsey, California
Washington, DC: (202) 225-5161
FAX: 202-225-5163
EMAIL: Go to website - woolsey.house.gov
Marin Office:(415) 507-9554
Sonoma County Office: (707) 542-7182
Howard "Buck" McKeon, California
Washington, DC: (202) 225-1956
FAX: 202-226-0683
EMAIL: tellbuck@mail.house.gov
Santa Clarita District Office: 661) 254-2111
There was a time when special education and parent rights did not exist and
must have seemed like an impossible goal. Imagine a program designed for your
child’s individual needs. Parents dreamed about the right to a free and
appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Parents that came
before us struggled with Congress to enact the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) – the blueprint for special education. We thank them each
and every school day for their work.
But now IDEA comes up for reauthorization this year and there are serious
threats to IDEA. If H.R. 1350 “Improving Education Results for Children with
Disabilities Act” becomes law, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
(DREDF) states that the bill will weaken “IDEA in sweeping ways and will harm
children with disabilities.” It’s now our turn to keep IDEA intact, become informed
about what’s going on in Congress and take action.
Here are a few things that the proposed IDEA bill would do:
Extend IEPs to 3 years and delete short-term objective and
benchmarks. This would gut the civil rights protections of IDEA and
remove school accountability for educating children with
disabilities.
· Permits the development of state voucher programs that would
send some students with disabilities to private schools that are not
accountable under the law.
· Give schools unilateral power to transfer students to alternative
settings for violating school rules.
· Eliminate Manifest Determination reviews
· Eliminate requirement for functional behavior assessments
· Eliminate requirements for positive behavior support plans
· Add one-month waiting period before any parent complaint could
go to due process regardless of the problem or issue
· Creates option of “voluntary binding arbitration” which would not
provide any appeal path for parents or students
· Diverts funds away from direct services to children with
disabilities and allows money to be used for a new pre-referral
program, to supplant local education funds, to provide
“supplemental services,” and to be used for purposes other than
the provision of services.
What to Do
Immediately call or FAX or EMAIL the members of Congress who sit on the House
Committee on Education and the Workforce. Listed below are the California
members. For a full listing of the members contact us at scpn@scpn.orgt and we
will email a listing.
George Miller, California
(Ranking Minority Member)
Washington, DC: (202) 225-2095
FAX: 202-225-5609
EMAIL: george.miller@mail.house.gov
Concord District Office: (925) 602-1880
Richmond District Office: (510) 262-6500
Vallejo District Office: (925) 602-1880
Susan Davis, California
Washington, DC: 202-225-2040
FAX: 202-225-2948
EMAIL: susan.davis@mail.house.gov
San Diego Office: 619-280-5353
Lynn C. Woolsey, California
Washington, DC: (202) 225-5161
FAX: 202-225-5163
EMAIL: Go to website - woolsey.house.gov
Marin Office:(415) 507-9554
Sonoma County Office: (707) 542-7182
Howard "Buck" McKeon, California
Washington, DC: (202) 225-1956
FAX: 202-226-0683
EMAIL: tellbuck@mail.house.gov
Santa Clarita District Office: 661) 254-2111