A friend of mine, Deb Del Zoppo, posted this on Facebook. As a resident of Michigan she is appalled by what Betsy DeVos is proposing to due to our public schools. Here is what she had to say:
The school voucher system proposed by Education secretary Betsy DeVos does not mean you can choose any school you want your kid to go to. It means the public education program will be dismantled. Pay close attention when voting during the midterm elections!
If your child has an IEP (individual education plan for students with special needs), kiss it goodbye.
If you have a job in special-education, if you're a special education teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, a para, a teacher's aid, or an ESL (English as a second language) teacher, you'll go first.
House Bill 610 makes some large changes. Inform yourselves. This bill will effectively start the school voucher system to be used by children ages 5-17 and starts the defunding process of public schools. The bill will eliminate the Elementary and Education Act of 1965, which is the nation's educational law that provides equal opportunity in education. ESSA is a big comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, advanced and gifted kids in AP classes, ESL classes, classes for minorities such as Native Americans, Rural Education, Education for the Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance, and Federal Accountability Programs.
The Bill also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards in school breakfast and lunch.
The bill has no wording whatsoever protecting Special Needs kids, no mention of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education). Some things ESSA does for Children with Disabilities:
-Ensures access to accommodations on assessments.
-Ensures concepts of Universal Design for Learning.
-Includes provisions that require local education agencies to provide evidence-based interventions in schools with consistently underperforming subgroups.
-Requires states in Title I plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, overuse of discipline practices and reduce the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion).
Please call your representative and ask him/her to vote NO on House Bill 610 (HR 610).
Thomas Jefferson and the other founders of this republic knew the importance, in a republic, of an educated and informed electorate. For these reasons Adams wrote into the Massachusetts constitution--which is still in effect--that the state must support education, and must be the underpinning of Harvard and other universities. For these reasons Jefferson prided himself most for his role in establishing the University of Virginia. For these reasons the founders gave us the First Amendment's Press Freedoms. This administration is working day and night to erode and, finally, destroy the safeguards of these institutions.
Thank you, Deb, for your enlightened post. You've done your homework, now we must do ours.
"An Br'er Putin, he jus' laugh and laugh.
Impeach and Imprison.
No comments:
Post a Comment