isolder

Please don't let the fact that you don't know me dissuade you from taking the few minutes to read this.

I'll try to keep my words short because I feel the email that I was sent below speaks for itself. This is an email I was sent by my dearest friend. I know none of you know me, but you all seem like such great people that I feel that you are all people that will take this to heart.

Here's a few important links:

Sign the petition to stop this bill!
http://www.petitiononline.com/nos1248/petition.html
For any questions you have, you can email: autismquestions@mail.com
They'll be answered as soon as possible.


[begin forward]
I am passing on information from a parent's group that I belong to. The news is upsetting for all of us in the group and should be to anyone who knows anyone with a disabled child. Even if you don't, the implications for this change are astounding. My son's disability is on the rise and if this is passed, there is no telling how many children will be shorted their education. I am asking first that you take time to write the President and second that you pass this on to as many people as you know. The one Oklahoma vote against this was not enough and now we need more help. You can email me back with specific questions and what I do not know I will direct on to the president of the group. Thanks.

Tonya


The IDEA reauthorization passed in the Senate 93 to 1. The one I am proud to
say is one of Oklahoma's senators, Don Nickles. (Senate bill 1248, House bill
1350). It is now in committee for both the house and the senate. Once they
work out the differences between the two bills, it will go to the president for
his signature. THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!

I don't know if there is hope to get this vetoed, but it is our last hope of
saving our children. Please write President Bush and voice your opinion!
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500

Most of you have heard this from me before, but I'll hit the high points again.

The new bill changes parent rights and decreases the child's ability to get a
appropriate education. Some examples:
-IEP's only required every three years instead of every year. No short term
goals or objectives. How can you effectively plan for goals for a three year
period.
-Elimination of Stay Put. Right now, if the school changes your child's
placement without your permission (which they can do), you can file Due Process
and request Stay Put. Your child stays in their current placement until the
hearing officer determines what placement is appropriate. Without that, your
child can be changed to a bad placement and have to stay there for the 60 days
it takes to fight over it. Even if you win and get your old placement back,
your child has already wasted 60 days. Or worse yet, been harmed by that 60
days.
-Right now, a child on an IEP can only be suspended for 10 days before the
school has to do a Manifestation Determination and a Functional Behavioral
Assessment. (determine if the behavior that caused the suspension is related
to the disability) Under the new bill, a child can be suspended for up to 45
days for any violation of school rules, regardless of disability. A child with
Tourette Syndrome that swears can be suspended. That is just outrageous.

There is more, and if you would like to have the details, let me know. This
should be enough to scare all of us. For those of you who do not have a child
with a disability, remember that every child is one accident away from being a
child with a disability. Please tell everyone you know to write, call, fax.
Get involved. This affects the entire country. I am also going to write Laura
Bush and appeal to her as a mother.

I hope this is clear enough. My brain isn't working quite right at the
moment. It hasn't since I saw the vote in the senate this morning. I am sick
over this. Please help. Please!
Tina
[end forward]

--
Please, please, please forward this to everyone you know, or at least sign the online petition I gave a link for above. If you decide to only forward a portion of this, make sure to at least include the petition link and the email address. Try to Bcc: if you are sending to a lot of people. I really don't want this to be considered spam, people need to be made aware though.

If I've put this in the wrong place, I apologize. General discussion seems appropriate for something like this, though.

Thank you for your time.

__________________
the dangerous type

KellyC

This is rediculous, I'm not a parent but I'll still sign it.

__________________
Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.

maleficent

The email itself is somewhat confusing -- and the fact that it;s a friend of a friend and please forward to everyone you know -- just screams urban legend.

I just googled it - -The NJ Developmental Disabilitilies Council explains it pretty welll, though it appears it's old news.

http://www.njddc.org/fam13-1-2-a.htm
The National Downs Syndrome Society kinda goes both ways on the issue
http://capwiz.com/ndss/issues/bills/?bill=2716626

__________________

Lebell

ummm,

This is why we have a "Politics" section.

moved.

__________________
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

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Cynthetiq

it's already a done deal as of 5.13.04

according to thomas.loc.gov

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:s.01248:

The Senate incorporated S. 1248 in H.R. 1350 and passed H.R. 1350 in lieu of S. 1248. For further action, see H.R. 1350.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR01350:
edit: Lebell you just want me to post more in Tilted Politics!!! I see through your ploy!!!

__________________
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