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OUR CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND
www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com


JANUARY 21, 2004

THE NAME GAME

What’s in a name? Not much, apparently. As the Lukers pointed out on Monday, the whole notion of “IDEA Reauthorization” is a sham. To call this process a “reauthorization” suggests that without this process, the IDEA would cease to be “authorized.”

Not so! As we have pointed out in the past (and as supporters of the proposed gutting of IDEA consistently fail to mention), IDEA’s Part B (the part being systematically dismantled by Congress) is already permanently authorized. NO ACTION BY CONGRESS IS NEEDED FOR IDEA PART B TO CONTINUE IN EFFECT.

In fact, this “reauthorization” will strip IDEA’s Part B of most of the provisions that make it what it is today – a civil rights statute protecting the rights of children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education. So, to support the “reauthorization” of IDEA is in reality to support its elimination, while to oppose its “reauthorization” is in reality to support its continued existence.

Confusing? You bet! It’s supposed to be! The proponents of gutting IDEA have deliberately manipulated us into believing that day is night and night is day.

Take the names of the proposed IDEA bills. H.R.1350, that draconian bill that only a school administrator could love, is misleadingly entitled the “Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act.” Who could be against a bill with that name? Similarly, S.1248 is entitled the “IDEA Improvement Act of 2003.” Who can argue with “improvement?”

Here’s another name: “No Child Left Behind.” Proponents of gutting IDEA claim they are “aligning” IDEA with No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Well, if that’s the case, then how can they propose changes to IDEA that will benefit school personnel at the expense of the children? Won’t doing that leave 6.5 million children behind?

We’ve seen the Shell Game (“now you see it, now you don’t”), the Blame Game (media articles blaming our kids for the failure of schools to meet AYP under NCLB), and now The Name Game.

I’m tempted to say that we’re sick and tired of the games, but on second thought, maybe we’re not. This year is an election year, where everyone (not only children and families) have a lot at stake. We all, politicians included, have a lot to lose this year. Lucky for us, this game, unlike some of the others we’ve been subjected to, is not completely out of our control. This game revolves around votes, and we have plenty of those!

So we at OCLB say: “Let the Games Begin!”

Sandy Alperstein, today's parentvolunteer@ourchildrenleftbehind.com


©2004 Our Children Left Behind.

Our Children Left Behind [OCLB] was created and is owned/operated by parent volunteers (Sandy Alperstein, Tricia & Calvin Luker, Shari Krishnan, and Debi Lewis). Permission to forward, copy, and/or post this article is granted provided that it is unedited and attributed to the author(s) and www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com. For more about OCLB or to share information, please contact parentvolunteer@ourchildrenleftbehind.com.