Idea Update
Over one year ago Congress passed the
1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act. This Act came into existence over 20 years ago, and was to
be renewed after 20 years. The reason it came into being was
because millions of children were falling through the cracks
educationally. Many were institutionalized where they
languished. Even just from the viewpoint of fiscal
responsibility it was a disaster, as these children did not
reach their potential and become independent self-supporting
citizens. They needed a hand up,
(not to be confused with a handout).
Two years ago there was bitter
wrangling, as parents were determined that the bill should hold
districts more accountable for delivering meaningful services to
children. Districts fought such changes tooth and nails.
Finally, a bi-partisan committee, with members representing
congress, educators, administrators, parents, advocates, and
people with disabilities managed to come up with a strong but
fair bi-partisan bill. The bill was so bi-partisan that it
literally flew through Congressional approval and was signed
into law.
Then came the process of
the U.S. Dept. of Education writing federal regulations
interpreting the law. Input was sought from all segments of the
country, and everyone could and did have their say. The final
date for input was Jan. 21, 1998. Little were we as parents
aware for several months that what we thought was a "done deal"
was being sabotaged quietly but savagely. We found out that
districts across the country were pouring huge dollars into
pressuring our congressional representatives to demolish certain
parts of the bill.
The discipline section
of the bill is the heart and soul of IDEA for any child with a
disability who has any behavior issues. The amendments that keep
popping up and being attached to large bills would once again
put our children's future into the hands of local officials for
final decision. If your child's behavior is "on the list" than
schools would be able to expel that child--permanently. Folks
that is why IDEA came into existence in the first place.
Literally millions of children were being denied services for
one reason or another. They were going without an educational,
and in many instances were institutionalized. I have found that
when a child is given the support and intensive help he/she may
need in the area of disability those behaviors often drop
dramatically. When you think about it, how many of us as adults
do well day after day in a situation where there is no chance of
success or recognition. How many of us could hold up to public
ridicule by peers day after day, month after month, year after
year?
The new IDEA would hold
the district accountable as well as the child and the parent,
(which in my experience is where schools
love to place all the accountability.)
If a child had serious behavior issues
that the school could not cope with than the district would be
responsible for recommending a behavior assessment. That
assessment would include positive interventions not punitive
interventions. Personnel would be required to document those
interventions that worked and which ones did not. Behavior plans
and alternative discipline plans would be carefully crafted to
teach that child to new behaviors. Does that work? You bet it
does. I have taken part in such team efforts over and over and
seen the results. Parents and school work hand in hand in a
cooperative effort. It works--if the child also has the academic
supports needed to be successful.
In the new IDEA,
Congress wrote the horrible static's for children who fall
through the cracks. There is a high rate school drop outs and
high crime rates among uneducated youth. They saw and stated how
these new changes in IDEA are needed. These children are also at
high risk for gang activity and illicit drugs. When they bottom
out with no support from school as well as home, their
self-esteem hits rock bottom. We must remind Congress that it is
much cheaper to support these children to reach their maximum
potential than it is to support them in jail or hospitals.
Besides, it is the right thing to do!
One voice can
make a difference. It has to be your voice, my voice, and the
voice of friends and family. Our district is already talking
about all the things they won't be accountable for come
December. Are we going to let that happen? Parents and advocates
mounted a huge effort to beat back two previous attempts to
destroy IDEA. The most ominous attempt is just ahead. The
Appropriations Bill is just around the corner. Tacked onto that
bill are not one, not two, but three amendments tearing IDEA
apart. If each of us will promise to contact our personal
representatives in Congress, flood them with personal stories
about how IDEA has protected our children, and plead with them
to not make any changes to this law, we can beat back this
mean-spirited self-serving attempt to destroy IDEA.
What the
opponents will try to do is use scare tactics about kids killing
kids. How many of you have a kid who killed a kid? Of course we
want our schools safe. But the answer is not to punish a who
segment of our population for what a very few children have
done. We need to tell them to stick to the facts. Should all our
children with disabilities be punished because of a few children
who obviously needed help and did not get it? So send pictures
of your kid, and tell your story. Try to hold it to two pages in
all, or it will not make as strong an impact. Tell your parent
story in heartfelt terms. Tell them not to make changes to IDEA.
What ever you do, do not go over two pages in all. When we get
close to the vote we want to flood them with faxes and our
concern. If one person tells ten, that ten turns into 100 and
that one hundred quickly turns into 1000. Make the commitment
now. We will not have another chance for 20 years.
Go to
National Parents Network
for Disabilities and sign up for their weekly e-mail fax if
you want to stay on top of this issue.
