Re: Texas' Public School Culture

[Guest guest]

Connie,

Well glad you asked! My proposal, we should work together to start an

Autism PAC here in Texas. I am not naive to think this will be easy to

start, the main challenge will be getting a small group to meet and decide

in which direction to move forward.

In case you haven't heard of this, a PAC is a Political Action Committee.

It is formed for the purpose of influencing legislation. It can raise money

and spend it to lobby legislators- educate them about our positions and try

to get new laws passed.

Organizations like Autism Society and FEAT are great, but they are

inherently limited in the lobbying they can do because it would endanger

their non-profit status.

I have talked with a few friends here in D/FW (parents of kids with Autism)

about this idea, and I know there is some interest, we are all just

understandably busy, but might be interested in contributing in a small way.

What I would like to find is 4 or 5 like minded people to work together to

start the PAC. We need at least a couple people interested in or skilled in

talking to people- good Interpesonal skills- people that know how to " ...Win

Friends and Influence People.... "

My skills are in the area of computers, what I am most ready to contribute

is - a website, manage email contact lists of people, mailings, etc. Of

course I am willing to do more, but these are my strengths. I can also rake

up a $100 or $200 bucks for legal paperwork to get it started.

What we probably need is someone skilled in organization, and a desire to do

this also; and, as mentioned, people willing to meet with legislators. I am

willing to meet with legislators, it just isn't my strength (in my opinion).

Anyone else interested in this idea, please email me.

J. Reirdon

Message: 6

Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2004 15:17:44 -0000

From: " Connie " <jimcon8@...>

Subject: Re: Texas' Public School Culture

So, how DO you go about changing the system?

I don't think individually it will change. How do we work TOGETHER

to change it?

[Guest guest]

" So, how DO you go about changing the system?

I don't think individually it will change. How do we work TOGETHER

to change it? "

This IS the key question, and really the point of all this discussion, isn't

it?

My opinion, for what it is worth after almost 10 years of dealing with this

problem personally (my daughter will be 17 and my son 12 in May) is that it

is going to take more than just a group of " complaining parents " (how we are

viewed). Obviously, if this could be solved by just us, I think we would

have been taken care of by now.

That said, I think we are going to need backing from others with a vested

interest. We need to have professionals...social service agency providers,

doctors, psychologists, speech pathologists, etc. JOIN us and DEMAND that

Texas begin to provide for their special needs students. This issue isn't

just restricted to kids with autism...this is an issue we share with many

other groups including groups supporting individuals with mental

retardation, cerebral palsy, mental health, mental illness and emotionally

disturbed kids, etc.

While we may have our own unique issues related to specific training we

would insist is mandatory for those working with our children, we share many

of these issues with other groups...it is just that our group of kids sort

of encompasses the entire spectrum of issues. Kids with mental retardation

also need 1:1 instruction from qualified teachers and not babysitting; kids

with behavioral/emotional problems want well trained behavior therapists and

positive behavior supports at school; students with cerebral palsy want

access to assistive technology and related services that meet their needs

and aren't just token efforts.

Right now, social service agencies throughout the state are reeling from an

influx of clients who are turning to other state and social agencies to

receive services that they cannot get the public schools to provide. Health

insurers are considering most (if not all) of the issues educational, which

lets them off the hook. Families are turning to outside providers include

hospitals, OT/PT/Speech therapists, doctors, psychologists, MHMR,

psychiatric providers, and more to get THEM to provide these " educational "

services. Many of these people are also very incenses at how the public

schools treat our children (or don't treat them, as the case may be).

I think our best bet is to unite with these other social service and medical

providers...while legislators and schools and TEA may not listen to parents,

I think they WILL listen to a barrage of outrage from the general population

and key people who influence policies throughout the state on issues such as

mental health, foster care, juvenile justice, etc. If we can convince these

people that their additional burdens and strife are caused in large part by

a public school system that treats these kids as " throw-aways " and get them

to speak up with us, perhaps not only will the media take note and begin to

publicize this travesty, but legislators and other policy makers will begin

to actually listen.

It is highly important that we put aside any differences we might have with

each other over treatment methodologies, vaccination policies, etc. and work

TOGETHER as well as ENLIST others. When the " public " outcry reaches an

uncomfortable level, agency heads start calling in favors (remember, this IS

very political!) and the media begins focusing on this as an issue, I think

we will finally begin to change the culture that Marvin refers to (and, by

the way, I agree with his opinion on this issue of a culture....and, trust

me, this sort of culture does NOT exist in many, many other states. It is

particularly why I chose to pursue my Master's OUT-OF-STATE because I did

not want to be exposed to this system...which DOES start at the college

level here!)

Anyway, this is my suggestion for how change will occur...or at least start.

nna

[Guest guest]

" So, how DO you go about changing the system?

I don't think individually it will change. How do we work TOGETHER

to change it? "

This IS the key question, and really the point of all this discussion, isn't

it?

My opinion, for what it is worth after almost 10 years of dealing with this

problem personally (my daughter will be 17 and my son 12 in May) is that it

is going to take more than just a group of " complaining parents " (how we are

viewed). Obviously, if this could be solved by just us, I think we would

have been taken care of by now.

That said, I think we are going to need backing from others with a vested

interest. We need to have professionals...social service agency providers,

doctors, psychologists, speech pathologists, etc. JOIN us and DEMAND that

Texas begin to provide for their special needs students. This issue isn't

just restricted to kids with autism...this is an issue we share with many

other groups including groups supporting individuals with mental

retardation, cerebral palsy, mental health, mental illness and emotionally

disturbed kids, etc.

While we may have our own unique issues related to specific training we

would insist is mandatory for those working with our children, we share many

of these issues with other groups...it is just that our group of kids sort

of encompasses the entire spectrum of issues. Kids with mental retardation

also need 1:1 instruction from qualified teachers and not babysitting; kids

with behavioral/emotional problems want well trained behavior therapists and

positive behavior supports at school; students with cerebral palsy want

access to assistive technology and related services that meet their needs

and aren't just token efforts.

Right now, social service agencies throughout the state are reeling from an

influx of clients who are turning to other state and social agencies to

receive services that they cannot get the public schools to provide. Health

insurers are considering most (if not all) of the issues educational, which

lets them off the hook. Families are turning to outside providers include

hospitals, OT/PT/Speech therapists, doctors, psychologists, MHMR,

psychiatric providers, and more to get THEM to provide these " educational "

services. Many of these people are also very incenses at how the public

schools treat our children (or don't treat them, as the case may be).

I think our best bet is to unite with these other social service and medical

providers...while legislators and schools and TEA may not listen to parents,

I think they WILL listen to a barrage of outrage from the general population

and key people who influence policies throughout the state on issues such as

mental health, foster care, juvenile justice, etc. If we can convince these

people that their additional burdens and strife are caused in large part by

a public school system that treats these kids as " throw-aways " and get them

to speak up with us, perhaps not only will the media take note and begin to

publicize this travesty, but legislators and other policy makers will begin

to actually listen.

It is highly important that we put aside any differences we might have with

each other over treatment methodologies, vaccination policies, etc. and work

TOGETHER as well as ENLIST others. When the " public " outcry reaches an

uncomfortable level, agency heads start calling in favors (remember, this IS

very political!) and the media begins focusing on this as an issue, I think

we will finally begin to change the culture that Marvin refers to (and, by

the way, I agree with his opinion on this issue of a culture....and, trust

me, this sort of culture does NOT exist in many, many other states. It is

particularly why I chose to pursue my Master's OUT-OF-STATE because I did

not want to be exposed to this system...which DOES start at the college

level here!)

Anyway, this is my suggestion for how change will occur...or at least start.

nna