This week's IDEA Weekly Update from Our Children Left Behind is now available
online. To read it, just go to

http://p078.ezboard.com/fourchildrenleftbehindfrm17.showMessage?topicID=342.to
pic

(If you have trouble with the link, please email us at
parentvolunteer@..., or just go to
http://p078.ezboard.com/fourchildrenleftbehindfrm17 and scroll down to find the
latest IDEA Weekly Update – usually
toward the top of the listing).

Also, if you haven't already, please consider signing up for our Yahoo
announcement-only distribution list. This is NOT a discussion group - we simply
send
out our IDEA information, updates and alerts in a convenient daily email
format. To join, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurChildrenLeftBehind or
send
an email to OurChildrenLeftBehind-subscribe@YahooGroups.com.

By the way, we've updated our "What You Can Do Right Now" Link to include a
new action item:

On July 15, 2004, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce issued a
press release entitled "House Republicans Express Disappointment at Senate
Democrat Refusal to Go to Conference on IDEA Reauthorization." It is posted at:
edworkforce.house.gov/press/press108/second/07july/idea071514.htm *

OCLB has received so much feedback regarding this press release that we have
put together a brief template letter (below) that our visitors can send to
their Senators and Representatives in response. Contact information for your
members of Congress can be found by entering your zipcode at
http://www.congress.org/

* NOTE: The coaltion letter mentioned in the press release can be found at
www.ncsl.org/standcomm/sceduc/edjointltr060704.htm





Dear ___________,

I have read the July 15 press release put out by the Republicans from the
House Committee on Education and the Workforce, stating their disappointment
that
the Democrats in the Senate are refusing to appoint conferees to reconcile
the IDEA reauthorization bills passed by both Houses (H.R.1350 and S.1248).

I just wanted to let you know that there is broad public support from parents
of students with disabilities, as well as others in the disability community,
for this move on the part of the Senate Democrats. For example, the National
Committee of Parents and Advocates Organized to Protect IDEA, comprised of a
large and growing number of disability-related groups (see
p078.ezboard.com/fourchildrenleftbehindfrm28.showMessage?topicID=95.topic), has
taken the position
that no conference action should be taken at this point. Many of us feel that
neither bill is acceptable for students with disabilities and their families,
and we welcome the opportunity to continue our dialog with our legislators in
hopes of putting together a better IDEA reauthorization bill in the future.

I would be happy to discuss this with you or the appropriate aide should you
need more information.

Sincerely,





©2004 Our Children Left Behind.

Our Children Left Behind [OCLB] was created and is owned/operated by parent
volunteers (Shari Krishnan, Tricia & Calvin Luker, Sandy Alperstein, 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
http://www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com/. For more about OCLB or to share
information, please
contact parentvolunteer@....



Have a nice weekend!

Sandy, Illinois (alpy2@...)
Volunteer Co-Webmaster, http://www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com/ (IDEA
reauthorization)


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