Guest guest Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 With the pat response many of us received from Majette, I simply couldn't leave this one alone. Someone up there needs to know the REAL DEAL , The Honorable Majette 1517 Longworth House Office Building Washington DC 20515-1004 Dear Congresswoman Majette, Thank you for your reply regarding the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. With all due respect, please allow me to share the prevailing thoughts of the recent action of the House. My own experiences alone should have been enough to make you aware of the need for dire changes to IDEA. With very specific information given to you and to others, I honestly cannot accept that the proposed changes were made in the best interests of children with disabilities. All of the real stories from real people about real children seemed to have gone unnoticed. I am deeply saddened for my children and for all of the more than 6 million students who are served under IDEA in our public schools. In the era of “ No Child Left Behind “, the House is proposing to do just that- leave disabled children behind. The IDEA bill passed by the House contains provisions that will do nothing but weaken the law and damage the civil rights of children with disabilities in every school district in the country. The provisions in H.R. 1350 and it’s companion bill, H.R. 1373, jeopardize educational opportunity and quality for our most vulnerable children. H.R. 1350 will NOT support children with disabilities. H.R. 1350 will NOT improve the quality of their education. H.R. 1350 will NOT improve the quality of relationships between parents and schools. H.R. 1350 will NOT increase parent participation in IEP meetings. H.R. 1350 WILL : Reduce school accountability Make the IEP process even more user-unfriendly Coerce parents to accept reduced paperwork Give less measurability of a student’s progress Create more tension for advocating parents Increase litigation Access to a free and appropriate education should be part of the American promise of equal opportunity for everyone. This promise was formally extended to children with disabilities in 1975 but remains an unfulfilled promise. The failure of Congress to fulfill it’s more than 26-year promise is not acceptable. We can and we should do better. We have a responsibility to do better. Our government has simply defaulted on it’s obligation to children with disabilities. Sincerely, M. Bowen Partner in Policymaking Parent Leadership Support Project Mom to Kristian, 29, Partial Trisomy 13 Mom to , 13, Autism Cc : Governor Sonny Perdue Senator Zell Senator Saxby Chanbliss Georgia Senator Adelman Georgia Representative Jill Chambers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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