OCTOBER 4 & 5, 2003

WEEKLY WEBSITE UPDATE

Many stirring pieces on the Home Page
(www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com/pages/1/index.htm) this week!  We have a bit of
breathing room with the Senate on
recess from October 4-12, so let our Home Page articles move you to action while
we still have time to act!

In "You Can't Fool Parents," we discuss the five most common reasons schools
give parents for believing that IDEA reauthorization does not directly affect
them.  We then demonstrate why NOT ONE of these reasons is true.  IDEA
reauthorization affects EVERY ONE OF US - whether you're a parent, grandparent,
s
ibling, relative, friend or just a concerned citizen appalled at the injustice
being perpetrated on our most vulnerable citizens.  It affects us whether our
kids are too young to be in the system, or too old to be in the system.  It
affects us even if our kids are not in the system -  any one of us, or our
children, could become disabled at any time.  This is just a fact of life, so we
never
know when we might need this system!  Also, IDEA is the foundation upon which
all the other community-based services and protections for people with
disabilities is based.  Attack IDEA and you attack community services, fair
housing
laws, and every other protection that has enabled people with disabilities to
come out of the closet and into society.  Point is, we cannot afford to think
that this process is not about us or our kids, BECAUSE IT IS!

In "The Shell Game," we talk about the "now you see it, now you don't"
mentality that's pervaded this reauthorization process from the beginning.  As a
current example, we discuss the Senate "boost" of IDEA funding, which seems to
be
on again, off again, depending when you ask.  To keep it "on" again, please
turn to our Breaking News page
(www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com/pages/2/index.htm), where an Arc Action Alert
tells you how you can help ensure funding for
IDEA.

We also have two pieces on the proposed weakening of parents' due
process/procedural rights.  A critical feature of IDEA's parental protections,
the
availability of legal assistance, is under attack.  In "Another Whiff of
Hypocrisy,"
we convincingly demonstrate why the proposed cap on parent's recovery of
attorney's fees is simply a guise for enabling a massive power shift away from
parents and toward the schools.  "In Our Children's Defense" discusses the
intimidation of parent advocates as being another verse in this same dangerous
song.  This piece shows you how these school tactics, if successful, will
radically
alter the balance of power between parents and schools.

Finally, in "Verb - It's What They Do," the author reminds us why we're doing
all of this in the first place - for our kids!  This piece is a moving
tribute to the value of our kids - all kids - and a powerful reminder that we
cannot
give up the fight!

Please keep your feedback coming, and have a great weekend!


Sandy Alperstein, today's parentvolunteer@...




Sandy, Illinois (alpy2@...)
Volunteer Co-Webmaster, <A
HREF="www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com">www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com</A> (IDEA
reauthorization)


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