Important IDEA Alert
From the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)
preserveIDEA@dredf.org IDEA Rapid Response Network (RRN)
TO JOIN THE RRN: Send an email to preserveIDEA@dredf.org and we'll add you to our distribution list. To read earlier Briefings, visit www.dredf.org. Please forward this briefing to others who want to work to protect IDEA.
ALERT:
The House Subcommittee on Education and Reform approved H.R. 1350, "Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act" at markup on April 2. It will go to the full House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Wednesday, April 9. Parents, advocates, and friends of children with disabilities need to act now to defeat this bill. The bill weakens IDEA in sweeping ways and will harm children with disabilities. RRN Action Alert #A3 presented an analysis of the bill's provisions.
WHAT TO DO:
Immediately CALL or FAX or EMAIL the members of Congress who sit on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Use the Contact List below.
WHAT TO SAY:
1. Three-year IEPS and the elimination of short-term objectives and benchmarks gut the civil rights protections of IDEA and remove school accountability for educating children with disabilities.
2. H.R. 1350 does not contain full funding for IDEA and thus does nothing to ensure that additional resources will accompany these major changes to the law. The bill diverts funds away from direct services to children with disabilities and allows money to be used for a new prereferral program, to supplant local education funds, to provide "supplemental services," and to be used for purposes other than the provision of services.
3. The discipline provisions of H.R. 1350 punish children with disabilities for disability-related behaviors, remove the civil rights protections of IDEA for children with disabilities, and deny children with disabilities the appropriate supports they need to succeed in school.
4. The bill permits the development of state voucher programs that would send some students with disabilities to private schools that are not accountable under the law.
5. Voluntary binding arbitration, forced settlement discussions without an attorney, waiting periods, and statutes of limitations make it impossible for parents to participate in the process, to monitor school services and supports or to adequately protect their children. Please send a copy of your fax or email to DREDF as well as to the Committee fax number as a whole. If you have also made a phone call, please let us know. DREDF fax: 510-841-8645 DREDF email: jepstein@dredf.org
DISCIPLINE: DREDF is particularly concerned about H.R. 1350's discipline
WHO TO CONTACT:
Contact your Federal Legislators & Current Legislation Persons wishing to follow IDEA reauthorization can visit the web site:
U.S. House: http://www.house.gov/
U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov/
Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov
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