Re: Florida has vouchers too.

[Guest guest]

Yes they do and it is call the Mckay scholarhsip program! See a portion of the

press

release from The Committee on Education and workforce -

The report, the first empirical evaluation of the McKay program's performance,

showed

overwhelmingly positive results with respect to both parental satisfaction and

program

services. The study shows that parents are much more satisfied with their

experiences in

private schools, using the McKay scholarship, than with their experiences in

public

schools. This finding was true for both parents currently participating in the

McKay

program, and notably, those who have left the program. The study also found

that the

important element for private schools was delivering on the services and

instruction that

they promised to parents. This contrasts with the current special education

model where

the emphasis has been for public schools to focus on paperwork compliance rather

than

providing services and instruction.

92.7% of current McKay participants are satisfied or very satisfied with their

McKay

schools; only 32.7% were similarly satisfied with their public schools;

Only 30.2% of current participants say they received all services required under

federal law

from their public school, while 86.0% report their McKay school has provided all

the

services they promised to provide;

Those participants also saw class size drop dramatically, from an average of

25.1 students

per class in public schools to 12.8 students per class in McKay schools;

Participating students were victimized far less by other students because of

their

disabilities in McKay schools. In public schools, 46.8% were bothered often and

24.7% were

physically assaulted, while in McKay schools 5.3% were bothered often and 6.0%

were

assaulted; and

Over 90% of parents who have left the program believe it should continue to be

available

to those who wish to use it.

Complete press release http://www.house.gov/ed_workforce/press/press108/06jun/

manhattan061103.htm

Liz

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> Tonya

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[Guest guest]

Liz,

The people who conducted this survey in Florida (Manhattan Institute)

have a special interest in vouchers. They are voucher champions, so

it does not surprise me that the results of their survey show how

great the voucher system is working. I would not trust this survey as

anything impartial or objective, or true. They have a special

interest in seeing vouchers being adopted everywhere, it would be in

their favor to show vouchers as a good thing, they champion them.

If a true Imperical study comes out from a group that is impartial,

then I might believe it.

Here is an excerpt from their website about their education reform

specialist:

Leading the Institute's efforts in this area is the nationally

renowned education researcher Jay P. Greene, Ph.D., Manhattan

Institute Senior Fellow and endowed chair and head of the Department

of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Greene has conducted evaluations of school choice and

accountability programs in Florida, Charlotte, Milwaukee, Cleveland,

and San . Dr. Greene was the only researcher cited in the

Supreme Court's majority opinion and Justice O'Connor's concurring

opinion in the landmark Zelman v. - case upholding the

constitutionality of school vouchers. He is author of the book

Education Myths. His articles have appeared in policy journals, such

as The Public Interest, City Journal, and Education Next, in academic

journals, such as The town Public Policy Review, Education and

Urban Society, and The British Journal of Political Science, as well

as in major newspapers, such as the Wall Street Journal and the

Washington Post.

CCI's work on education reform focuses on improving two main reforms

of public education: school choice and accountability. School choice

reforms (including charter schools and school vouchers) are dedicated

to improving the options available to parents of children in public

schools, and making public schools more directly accountable to

parents for education outcomes. Accountability reforms are devoted to

improving educational achievement by focusing on imparting knowledge

and skills and making teachers, administrators, and students

accountable for success or failure.

Here is their website address: http://www.manhattan-

institute.org/html/cci.htm#02

Nagla

-- In Texas-Autism-Advocacy , " lizscillian "

wrote:

>

> Yes they do and it is call the Mckay scholarhsip program! See a

portion of the press

> release from The Committee on Education and workforce -

>

> The report, the first empirical evaluation of the McKay program's

performance, showed

> overwhelmingly positive results with respect to both parental

satisfaction and program

> services. The study shows that parents are much more satisfied with

their experiences in

> private schools, using the McKay scholarship, than with their

experiences in public

> schools. This finding was true for both parents currently

participating in the McKay

> program, and notably, those who have left the program. The study

also found that the

> important element for private schools was delivering on the

services and instruction that

> they promised to parents. This contrasts with the current special

education model where

> the emphasis has been for public schools to focus on paperwork

compliance rather than

> providing services and instruction.

>

> 92.7% of current McKay participants are satisfied or very satisfied

with their McKay

> schools; only 32.7% were similarly satisfied with their public

schools;

>

> Only 30.2% of current participants say they received all services

required under federal law

> from their public school, while 86.0% report their McKay school has

provided all the

> services they promised to provide;

>

> Those participants also saw class size drop dramatically, from an

average of 25.1 students

> per class in public schools to 12.8 students per class in McKay

schools;

>

> Participating students were victimized far less by other students

because of their

> disabilities in McKay schools. In public schools, 46.8% were

bothered often and 24.7% were

> physically assaulted, while in McKay schools 5.3% were bothered

often and 6.0% were

> assaulted; and

>

> Over 90% of parents who have left the program believe it should

continue to be available

> to those who wish to use it.

>

> Complete press release

http://www.house.gov/ed_workforce/press/press108/06jun/

> manhattan061103.htm

>

> Liz

>

>

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> > Tonya

> >

>

[Guest guest]

The issues in this newspaper article are exactly the same ones I have

been thinking about with farming out special education or

specifically autism education to private schools. These schools are

concerned about profit and the bottom line, they are For-Profit

entities. They will not hire teachers that are highly trained in

special education if they cost more, or they will not hire them just

for a few students in school. They are not held accountable for IDEA

or FAPE.

If people are complaining about public schools how there are no

specific autism certification within special education field, these

private schools don't even have to have special education teachers,

never mind ones that are trained specifically for autism.

This highlights the fact that no system will ever solve all the

problems. It would be reasonable to fix a system that already has an

infrastructure for special education and by law is obligated to

uphold FAPE and IDEA, rather than begin work on a brand new system

that is not legally obligated to even put one in and is more

interested in profit. My fear is that once there are regulations put

on these private schools who accept voucher money, the same thing

will happen as with private providers for CLASS and HCS services.

They will get out of the buisness of providing services because they

won't be making any profit after having to spend money on

certification training, hiring more expensive special ed teachers

just for 4 or 5 students in school etc...

I am not against choice, if vouchers could be funded from a different

source (a private one) rather than public education money (especially

in Texas), I would say they are perfect and a true choice. I

understand the need for some families to do one on one therapy as the

mainstay for their children's education and satisfactory progress. I

realize the frustration of having your child in a program you feel is

making minimal progress when so much more can be done. I have dealt

with the same issue myself, and supplemented my son's education at

home with hours of tutoring every night to get him where I thought he

should be.

Is it an option to look at the autism scholarship legislation to be

funded from another source rather than public school money? (the Bil

and Belinda Gates foundation perhaps?)

Nagla

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> Tonya

>

[Guest guest]

Nagla,

I think you overestimate and believe that Autism families want

to " fight " ISDs. I don't find many families choose this option.

Most avoid conflict, because they know in the end that

the " fighting " will only produce resentment and resistance from

school officials (not the teachers for most :>) So, they home-

school or if capable of affording it they go to a private school.

Hey, in fact don't most of us move to neighborhoods where the

community is more pleasant and affluent. It is a simple idea that

when something is better, YOU GO if you can.

I think the same applies with scholarships. If another school can

provide better Autism services, then WE CAN GO.

You keep stating a " fear " of the unknown. I can state though a fact

that the Governor of OHIO made it permanent. The Ohio Autism

families did not raise up and bring this State law down. In fact,

they supported this OPTION.

As it is right now, many families here have objected to the present

system. Some families have suffered rejection and callous

treatment. These families object to the status quo. You can not

deny this and thus I think you should let these families make a go

of a possible SOLUTION and OPTION.

Maybe scholarships will not solve the problem for all Texas autism

families, but we know for a fact that there could be 500 very happy

families now in Texas (Ohio count so far) because of the scholarship

if we act now.

I think it is time for a change. As an older parent, I will throw

efforts to supporting these younger families with this idea (soon

they will be at my back :>) I will continue to support as I have in

the past sending letters on behalf of the CAA, Texas Autism Council

and others.

I am not even a Jefferson Clinton fan, but his theme song in

his campaign run was super " Don't Stop (Thinking about Tomorrow) " by

Fleetwood Mac.

Lyrics are great:

If you wake up and don't want to smile,

If it takes just a little while,

Open your eyes and look at the day,

You'll see things in a different way.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,

Don't stop, it'll soon be here,

It'll be, better than before,

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone

*************

Looking forward to 2007 :>)

Mark

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[Guest guest]

Nagla,

I am not trying to discuss a difference between advocating and

fighting. In reality some autism families have had to " fight " . I

believe we all advocate. Thus, you have a real Autism problem that

does not go away, even though there are families experiencing

satisfaction at certain schools :>) I can argue however strongly

that there are ISDs that have no idea and will not staff or fund

support for our Autism spectrum children sufficiently.

Autism scholarships is an OPTION. It will not solve all problems,

but at least it could be one that could help some in Texas now. I

guess I see the glass half-full, because I would rather say that

there are now 500 families better off than they were last year. I

don't have any idea if any are worse. How in the world are you

going to prove they are worse, because of scholarships?

Mark

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[Guest guest]

Florida has the same mentality about education as Texas, they are

also low ranking when it comes to education and worse, when it comes

to special education. I am on several national email lists and

Floridians constantly complain about their schools just like we do.

Vouchers come with their own set of problems as the lady from Florida

who posted demonstrated. I think that people have this idea in their

head that vouchers will waive a wand and the problems will be solved

and they will get automatic money, that is not the case. Your IEP

and services have to be approved by the school district you are

enrolled in, do you think they will approve any more services than

they would provide your child in their school? That would be against

FAPE and as we know public schools are responsible for FAPE unlike

private schools who will not be responsible for it.

It is also important to consider this, if vouchers are passed, the

Texas legislators might feel righteous about what they did, they

helped these pesky special education parents, now go away and don't

bother us anymore, end of conversation. So there goes any

opportunities for any true improvement in the Texas education system,

they threw some money at it, made it look like they resolved the

complaints about education and there you have it.

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