Parents tell senators to reject IDEA reauthorization plan
By Kara Arundel
Washington Bureau Correspondent
WASHINGTON When the Senate unveiled its Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reauthorization plan last June, parents of students with disabilities viewed it as the lesser of the two evils when comparing it to the House proposal.
Now, seven months later, parents are rejecting both bills and calling for the federal government to keep current law. They argue schools havent had enough time to fully implement IDEA 97. To rewrite the law now, they say, is a waste of time and money and is harmful to their children.
Parents fighting against both the House and Senate reauthorization attempts stand alone in their opposition. Even the disability community, which often joins forces with the parents in lobbying for certain education changes, sees improvements to sections of the law. Without a strong lobbying arm, parents know chances are good Congress could pass a law they emphatically oppose. Senate members plan to vote on a reauthorization plan in March. House members approved their bill last April.
Compared to current law, there is nothing positive about [the Senate bill], said Calvin Luker, of Royal Oak, Mich., whose 24-year-old daughter Jessica had a seizure disorder and significant cognitive impairments and died in 1999. We are correct and right and well still lose because the courage wasnt strong enough to stand up to the other side.
Parents budding dismissal of the Senate bill centers around tougher discipline measures and eliminating short-term objectives on individualized education programs. If school districts are allowed to make these changes, parents would lose a critical voice in the education of their children and it would delete current protections to keep special needs students in school, parents say.
Parents also say more federal government monitoring of state implementation of the IDEA is missing from both bills.
Those supportive of the Senate bill say performance report cards made mandatory by the No Child Left Behind Act will take the place of short-term objectives.
Those report cards, however, only measure academic activities, not other goals, such as social, motor and speech gains, said parent Sandy Alperstein, of Buffalo Grove, Ill. Alperstein, along with Luker and others, created a Web site for parents to keep track of IDEA reauthorization activities.
Of all the special education constituencies reacting to the Senate proposal, school administrators are most pleased with plans. Thats because they contain many measures school-based leaders have been asking for, including removing the dual discipline system and short-term objectives. These revisions will make the system less litigious and ease the paperwork loads, administrators say.
Paperwork remains the biggest problem for teachers and principals, after lack of funding, wrote Bruce Hunter, associate executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, in a letter to senators.
Disability advocates applaud some measures and protest others. Still, they would rather see the Senate bill make its way through reauthorization rather than abandon the bipartisan efforts of Senate Democrats and Republicans.
There are some [provisions] that strengthen it and some that weaken it, said Kim Musheno, a policy analyst for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. AUCD is one of 100 organizations that belong to the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, which calls the Senate bill a drastic improvement over the House plan. Were not happy with all of it, but we think its our best bet.
A Senate staffer interviewed last month said lawmakers are listening to parents concerns and the negotiated proposal reflects desires from all special education interests.
But for now, parents will continue their individual lobbying efforts in hopes of persuading enough senators to vote the bill down.
Win or lose, were right, Luker said.
Kara Arundel covers special education issues for LRP Publications.
January 16, 2004
Copyright 2004 © LRP Publications
Reprinted with permission from LRP Publications. Copyright 2004 by LRP Publications, 747 Dresher Road, P.O. Box 980, Horsham, PA 19044-0980. All rights reserved. For more information on online resources, please visit www.specialedconnection.com.
By Kara Arundel
Washington Bureau Correspondent
WASHINGTON When the Senate unveiled its Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reauthorization plan last June, parents of students with disabilities viewed it as the lesser of the two evils when comparing it to the House proposal.
Now, seven months later, parents are rejecting both bills and calling for the federal government to keep current law. They argue schools havent had enough time to fully implement IDEA 97. To rewrite the law now, they say, is a waste of time and money and is harmful to their children.
Parents fighting against both the House and Senate reauthorization attempts stand alone in their opposition. Even the disability community, which often joins forces with the parents in lobbying for certain education changes, sees improvements to sections of the law. Without a strong lobbying arm, parents know chances are good Congress could pass a law they emphatically oppose. Senate members plan to vote on a reauthorization plan in March. House members approved their bill last April.
Compared to current law, there is nothing positive about [the Senate bill], said Calvin Luker, of Royal Oak, Mich., whose 24-year-old daughter Jessica had a seizure disorder and significant cognitive impairments and died in 1999. We are correct and right and well still lose because the courage wasnt strong enough to stand up to the other side.
Parents budding dismissal of the Senate bill centers around tougher discipline measures and eliminating short-term objectives on individualized education programs. If school districts are allowed to make these changes, parents would lose a critical voice in the education of their children and it would delete current protections to keep special needs students in school, parents say.
Parents also say more federal government monitoring of state implementation of the IDEA is missing from both bills.
Those supportive of the Senate bill say performance report cards made mandatory by the No Child Left Behind Act will take the place of short-term objectives.
Those report cards, however, only measure academic activities, not other goals, such as social, motor and speech gains, said parent Sandy Alperstein, of Buffalo Grove, Ill. Alperstein, along with Luker and others, created a Web site for parents to keep track of IDEA reauthorization activities.
Of all the special education constituencies reacting to the Senate proposal, school administrators are most pleased with plans. Thats because they contain many measures school-based leaders have been asking for, including removing the dual discipline system and short-term objectives. These revisions will make the system less litigious and ease the paperwork loads, administrators say.
Paperwork remains the biggest problem for teachers and principals, after lack of funding, wrote Bruce Hunter, associate executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, in a letter to senators.
Disability advocates applaud some measures and protest others. Still, they would rather see the Senate bill make its way through reauthorization rather than abandon the bipartisan efforts of Senate Democrats and Republicans.
There are some [provisions] that strengthen it and some that weaken it, said Kim Musheno, a policy analyst for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. AUCD is one of 100 organizations that belong to the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, which calls the Senate bill a drastic improvement over the House plan. Were not happy with all of it, but we think its our best bet.
A Senate staffer interviewed last month said lawmakers are listening to parents concerns and the negotiated proposal reflects desires from all special education interests.
But for now, parents will continue their individual lobbying efforts in hopes of persuading enough senators to vote the bill down.
Win or lose, were right, Luker said.
Kara Arundel covers special education issues for LRP Publications.
January 16, 2004
Copyright 2004 © LRP Publications
Reprinted with permission from LRP Publications. Copyright 2004 by LRP Publications, 747 Dresher Road, P.O. Box 980, Horsham, PA 19044-0980. All rights reserved. For more information on online resources, please visit www.specialedconnection.com.
