My apologies if you have seen this already, but due to the time-sensitive
nature of this issue, I thought it's better to send it out to too many people,
rather than too few.

IDEA may be finalized as early as next week - both Houses of Congress have
passed bills, which are now in conference committee. The legislators return for
a "lame duck" session of Congress in the middle of Nov., and their staffers
are expected to have completed negotiations for a final IDEA bill to be
completed and sent to the President for signature.

If you have a few minutes within the next few days, please consider helping
out. Thanks! (BTW, rather than asking friends and family to write letters,
what I do is simply let them know I'll write the letters for them, sign their
names, and fax for them. Mine are grateful that I'm willing to do this, and
yours
will probably feel the same. I just use the same letter for each, sometimes
changing wording around if I'm feeling creative. Whatever works!)

10 MINUTES TO SAVE IDEA DISCIPLINE PROTECTIONS FOR KIDS

Congress is negotiating the final IDEA conference bill. Parents, family,
friends, and advocates need to tell Congress how important it is to keep the
discipline provisions in the IDEA strong. It will take only 10 minutes of
activism
on your part to help preserve these important rights for kids. What's 10
minutes? Please distribute this email widely and repost!!!!

Please send a fax to Congress that includes the points below. If you've
already done one last week or last month, do another. Edit as you see fit; add a
line or two if you wish.

*FAX* your letter to ALL FIVE Congressional aides listed below. (You do *not*
need to be a constituent; please send your fax to all five.)

Fax *THIS WEEK* – TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! GET FRIENDS & FAMILY TO SEND
FAXES!! We are looking for quantity here! Do *not* use email; it just gets
deleted.
Please do not call; we don't want to clog their phones when they are working
so hard. If you don't have access to a fax, we can find a way for someone else
to fax for you. The fax numbers are:

Sen. Judd Gregg:
Fax to Attention Ms. Denzel McGuire
fax: 202-228-4222 or 202-228-5044

Sen. Edward Kennedy:
Fax to Attention Ms. Connie Garner
fax: 202-224-5128

Rep. John Boehner:
Fax to Attention Mr. David Cleary
fax: 202-226-1010

Rep. George Miller:
Fax to Attention Ms. Alice Johnson Cain
fax: 202-225-3277

Rep. Michael Castle:
Fax to Attention Mr. Sarah Ritling
fax: 202-225-2291

-- Jess Butler




Dear Senator Gregg, Senator Kennedy, Representative Boehner, Representative
Miller, and Members of the Conference Committee,

I am concerned that the House and Senate IDEA bills do not adequately protect
the discipline protections for children with disabilities. The House bill's
discipline provisions are draconian, removing fundamental protections that
prevent arbitrary removal of children from the classroom. The Senate bill is
better, but it still does not prevent unnecessary exclusion of children.

Keep the manifestation determination in any IDEA bill. Kids with disabilities
need to stay in their classrooms, and learn with their peers. Under the House
bill, children could be removed for any conduct violation–no matter how
minor, even if it was a manifestation of the disability, and even if the child
doesn't understand what he did wrong. Kids with diabetes could be removed for
eating in class, kids with autism for being unable to sit still. The Senate bill
keeps the manifestation review, but weakens it unacceptably. For example, the
manifestation team would no longer consider the child's IEP and placement. If
the problem is with the IEP and/or placement, it can be easily fixed with
proper supports, instead of removing the child entirely. The Senate also lets
school districts do the review after disciplining the child. This means the
school
could made the wrong decisions, and the child would still be removed until the
review occurs.

It is also important that Congress keep and strengthen the requirements for
Positive Behavioral Intervention Plans in the IDEA. Individual, classroom, and
school-wide Positive Behavior Supports are evidence-based practices and highly
effective in keeping schools safe and students learning in all grades.
Requiring school professionals to develop Positive Behavior Intervention Plans,
based on Functional Assessments of Behavior, is vital to the "specially designed
instruction" so desperately needed by students with often-misunderstood
disabilities. The expertise required to perform these procedures already exists.
Congress needs to require Positive Behavior Support training for general
education
and special education personnel. The Senate and House need to strengthen the
requirements for implementing Positive Behavior Support practices in all
states, at all levels. This will reduce discipline problems dramatically, and
decrease suspensions, expulsions, “push outs” and dropouts.

The House and Senate bills must be made stronger to protect the discipline
rights of children with disabilities.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Signature




For more information on these issues, visit
www.c-c-d.org/IDEAabuse.htm or
p078.ezboard.com/fourchildrenleftbehindfrm14.showMessage?topicID=188.topic



Sandy, Illinois (alpy2@...)
Volunteer Co-Webmaster, Our Children Left Behind
(http://www.ourchildrenleftbehind.com)


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