Call Congress-Removing funding for IDEA from Stimulus

[steelady]

I got this this morning and wanted to pass it on.

In the economic stimulus package, there is increased funding for IDEA (among other programs). THe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has been funded to only 40% to date, placing a huge unfunded mandate on our schools. The gist of the law is a child with disabilities has a right to a free and appropriate public education. However, with many children, the cost of their needs can be great.

So please contact your Senator (especially if he/she is a republican) so we can prevent the stripping of this funding. This *is* economic stimulus as it will allow for school districts across the nation to either not cut teachers and programs and maybe add appropriate staff so that ALL children can have a fair shot at an education. Increased class size, increased needs and decreased funding has placed all of our teachers in the position of doing much, much more with less and less support.

Urgent - U.S. Senate to Vote Huge Education Cuts - Please Call Now!
AASA Legislative Corps Weekly Report - February 5, 2009

Vote Could Come Within Hours
A U.S. Senate vote -- that would potentially decimate previously agreed-to increases
for Title I, IDEA and 'stabilization' money to replace state cuts -- is set to take
place as early as this afternoon. We need your help, now. Please call Senator Feinstein
at (202) 224-3841 and Senator Boxer at (202) 224-3553 and ask to speak with the
education staff person. The message: "As a school leader in ____ (your city), I
want the senator to vote 'No' on the Nelson-Collins Stimulus Compromise, because
it would destroy the funds I desperately need to keep my district operating."
AASA has learned that conservative Nebraska Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson, and moderate
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins are reportedly working on a likely stimulus
amendment -- in consultation with the Obama Administration -- to cut out half of
the increases originally approved for IDEA (from $13.5 billion to $6.7 billion)
and Title I (from $13 billion to $6.5 billion).
Their amendment, still under discussion, would also cut Head Start from $2.1 to
$1.05 billion; cut $15 billion previously set for 'State Incentive Grants,' about
which Secretary Duncan has spoken favorably; and cut $24.7 billion out of the 'State
Stabilization Fund' which was designed to backfill state education reductions.
This is urgent. If this 'compromise' passes the Senate, we are almost assured the
generous increases passed by the House and by the Senate Appropriations Committee
last week will be reduced, perhaps as drastically as what now appears in Nelson-Collins.
This is all validated by the original working document posted by Talking Points
Memo [http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/Collins-Nelson-Cuts/?resultpage=6&.
Thank you for your help on this vital and urgent request.

[JudyJudyJudy]

Among other things, our governor is planning to cut funding for school nurses.

[MoonBound]

you still have school nurses?

[JudyJudyJudy]

For now, yes. With all the kids on meds these days, all the kids with asthma, all the kids with diabetes, etc., this could be bad.

[paper_]

While I think it should be discussed and debated and quite possibly passed, should it really a part of an economic stimulus?

[steelady]

While I think it should be discussed and debated and quite possibly passed, should it really a part of an economic stimulus?


I think so.

On a local level, there is a shortage of service providers (speech, OT, behavior, Sped teachers), not because they don't exist but because there is no funding. On a very local level, this money will allow districts (hopefully) to begin to address their staffing needs (job creation). Further, good programs would result in increased productivity for parents (increased cash into local economies). Every parent I know (and I think this is pretty universal) miss an amazing amount of work dealing with issues related to their child. I know one woman who went without pay all last semester because there were not enough services for her child, yet there was no money for appropriate placement at a non-public-so the kid sat home, the mother couldn't work. The school missed out on funding (no attendance) and the mother missed out on a lot of income that would have otherwise been spent on local businesses and services.

Further, the rates of autism are on the rise. There is the potential for an entire new industry related to the services of children on the spectrum. These services are currently mandated by federal law, yet lack of funding prevents many districts from being able to invest in their own school.

And, to round it up, good quality education programs now for children at risk (a) reduces the amount of services they will require as they age (b) increases their chances of being a productive (i.e. working, making a salary, paying taxes) when they reach maturity. and (c) increases the money available for general education kids which can also increase their earnings in the future.

By law, school districts must provide a basic level of services. There is an increases movement of legal action by many families in order to ensure their child is getting what is legally mandated. That's not going to change. The courts seem to be favoring parents, with allowing parents to represent themselves, etc. This will force districts to either increase spending on lawyers or remove money from general education funds (job losses).

This isn't going to save the economy, but it is one small piece that will address a large (and ever growing) need.

[Justicedog]

While I think it should be discussed and debated and quite possibly passed, should it really a part of an economic stimulus?

This is where I am. I think they've been getting carried away with throwing stuff that isn't really meant to be economic stimulus into the bill and that should stop.