Democrats for Education Reform

Want proof the education reform movement is a non-partisan issue? Just look at the national organization, Democrats for Education Reform. This is a national political action committee, based in new York City "whose mission is to encourage a more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education. DFER operates on all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office."
They have just named Rodney Hubbard, Missouri State Representative (D-58th District, MO), the first Midwest Regional Director. It has been with people like Hubbard, Missouri has seen education reform as a social issue that needs to be corrected in order for children around the state to get the education they need. Hubbard's devotion to the children of St. Louis and the rest of Missouri has been seen. Now the entire Midwest region can hopefully benefit from the passion of Rodney Hubbard.
Hopefully, legislators will listen with their hearts and allow reforms in education to take place.

Dropout Rates Disturbing

When parents think of their child's education, they focus on their children's achievements. A parent would usually know if their son or daughter drops out of school...although that is not always the case. While I think my children do well in school for the most part, I need to be aware of the larger picture. Not only are many of the schools not teaching the children well, the schools are not keeping the kids there.
An article in the St. Louis Post, St. Louis Dropout Rates Skyrockets; Missouri Holds Steady shows me that while some areas are retaining the kids, others are not.

Nearly a fourth of the high school students in St. Louis Public Schools dropped out last school year, according to data to be released by the state today.At 22 percent, it is the single largest spike in city school dropout rates in the last five years, and an 88 percent increase from the prior year.Most area districts reported stable figures this year, or even fewer dropouts, and credited aggressive tactics, including home visits, attendance monitors and even college scholarships. Only the Kansas City district, which estimated its dropout rate at roughly 28 percent, reported numbers worse than St. Louis.

Here is what I see: the schools were not only unaccredited, now they fail to even keep those children in attendance. Now I am sure it is not simply the fault of the schools, but that should be the one angle we can control. We can't control individual parents and children, but we should collectively have an impact on the schools. Why do the public schools spend thousands more per student than the private schools, yet they are failing? Why are there so many people who think we should simply pump more money into the system and that will fix the problem?

We need a change in how the schools and the education system as a whole are run. How many more kids can we afford to have dropout, turn to crime, or live on the streets?

"School Choice is a Social Justice Issue"

Life is filled with many issues that are viewed as simply one sided partisan political issues. School choice is, without a doubt, one issue that needs to be removed from this. Opponents will keep trying to throw their negative spin on it but the school choice movement needs to be stronger than the opponents' negativity.

Several states have passed legislation that allow for a variety of school choice paths. One way to allow for choice is through tax credits. These programs, whether they support special needs children or lower income students, give those children a chance at getting a better education. Howard Fuller, who I have seen speak once, is an incredibly passionate man. He beliefs all children deserve a better education and will stop at nothing to keep the fight strong.

This opinion piece, from the ArizonaStarNet, demonstrates how a tax credit program can effectively help many students. Missouri has tried to get similar legislation passed, but unfortunately, the opponents have spread their negative propaganda and succeeded. The reality needs to seep through their messages...our children are depending on us.

School tax credits deserve more support
Tucson, Arizona Published: 12.02.2008
'School choice is the social-justice issue of the 21st century." The first time I heard these words was not from a politician, but from Howard Fuller, a pioneer in the school-choice movement. Fuller, now a professor at Marquette University, was addressing a small group of educators at Notre Dame this summer.
Fuller contends that school-choice programs enable lower-income students to opt out of poorly performing urban schools and enroll in better performing private schools. It is my experience that Fuller's contention is right on the money, and plays out every day in our Catholic schools.
'School choice is the social-justice issue of the 21st century." The first time I heard these words was not from a politician, but from Howard Fuller, a pioneer in the school-choice movement. Fuller, now a professor at Marquette University, was addressing a small group of educators at Notre Dame this summer.
Fuller contends that school-choice programs enable lower-income students to opt out of poorly performing urban schools and enroll in better performing private schools. It is my experience that Fuller's contention is right on the money, and plays out every day in our Catholic schools.

Shouldn't Children Take Presedence over Unions?

The school choice debate has been further fueled by the presidential race, the strong opposition to choice by president Elect Obama, and the inability to promote real change within the schools. Democrats claim to be strong supporters of public schools and the children they serve. While they may now have more power now to stimulate serious change, they are still servants to the unions. The teacher unions have millions of members, millions of dollars, and strong lobbying means. The Democrats thrive of this group's backing and support. The party serves to support the jobs and the adults running the show, but in doing so, removes the possibility of real change. There are, of course, people within the party, who are willing to show strong support for change; Democrats for Education Reform has been growing and publicly stood up against the unions. Now, we will wait in limbo to see what our new president will do.

The Wall Street Journal's Change Our Public Schools Need lay out what needs to be done within the Democratic party in order for schools to really have change:

Democrats also have to get serious about school choice. The unions oppose it because they don't want one student or one dollar to leave the regular public schools, where their members teach. So the Democrats have been timid and weak in putting choice to productive use -- even though their constituents are the ones trapped in deplorably bad urban schools, whose futures are being ruined, and who are desperate for new educational opportunities.
If children were their sole concern, Democrats would be the champions of school choice. They would help parents put their kids into whatever good schools are out there, including private schools. They would vastly increase the number of charter schools. They would see competition as healthy and necessary for the regular public schools, which should never be allowed to take kids and money for granted.

Public School Improving Because of Choices

The one debate always given by school choice opponents is that school choice will derail the public schools. I have always known that not to be true; but as we all know, some people will never change their minds. Interestingly enough, not every school choice piece is designed in the same manner. While some offer private school as an option, others do not. Additionally, some use private donations to fund the scholarships, as in the case with certain tax credits. Opponents will claim it would help the children who choose to change schools, but not the ones that stay. The argument from choice proponents is that when children have choices, they relocate and get better education, AND the failing schools will have no option but to compete for their students....they would have to improve.
According the the U.S. News, Education Section, the city of Baltimore is experiencing great improvements because of the school choices families are given:

A Turnaround for Baltimore Schools
November 18, 2008 04:15 PM ET Jessica Calefati Permanent Link Print
Enrollment in the Baltimore City Public Schools system has increased for the first time in nearly 40 years at a point when many urban school districts are struggling to compete with the allure of private and suburban schools.
Andres Alonso, the school system's chief executive officer, says Baltimore City has about 82,000 students enrolled this year, 750 students more than last year. Though Alonso will not know the exact number until his estimates are certified by the state a few weeks from now, he says he is certain of an increase, however big or small. He attributes reversing the regular, steady enrollment declines of 2,500 to 3,000 students a year to the growing variety of school choice options available to parents.
Since he arrived in 2007, Alonso has used community outreach as a tool to improve the Baltimore City schools and increase enrollment. He says he has personally attended more than 100 PTA and PTO meetings to seek feedback about the schools from the community. When parents told Alonso they supported independently operated public charter schools, he responded by opening 25 such campuses. When parents indicated they were unhappy with the city's middle and high school options, Alonso opened six new schools.
"We understand that the traditional school setting does not work for many students, which is why this celebratory mood signals so much," Alonso says. "Parents are voting with their feet and showing us they support the changes we've made with their children in mind."
Alonso publicly expressed his excitement about the city's increased public school enrollment by throwing a party at M&T Bank Stadium earlier this fall in celebration of the achievement. The nature of the enrollment declines in Baltimore had been so huge and so consistent that Alonso considers what's happening now a "monumental" success.
"With parents feeling more ownership of the city's schools, they will be more invested in what we have to offer," Alonso says. "That said, I know it's on us to provide attractive options that offer advantages for their children."

Economy Makes Life Even Harder for Some

The downturn in the economy can make any family or individual struggle. People are looking for ways to cut back spending, increase savings, and up their income. Sometimes it works and other times, it does not.
Families with autistic or other special needs' children are also facing hard times...possibly more than other people. Getting treatment and education should not be something added to those stresses, but unfortunately, it is. An article in the SeattlePi portrays the struggles one family is experiencing during this turbulent time. Their 6 year old son suffers from autism and the family has had to cut back on the expensive treatment he was receiving. Notes from his teacher showed multiple orange circles, indicating that their son was repeatedly acting out.
"I feel that Aaron is more affected by this than anyone in the family," Renee Ott said as she sat at her kitchen counter. "Why I cry at night is because of him."
What if...they could send their child to a specialized school instead of the school he currently attends? Perhaps, they wouldn't need all the extra treatments and could get everything in the school. Why shouldn't they have the option to send their child to a school, private or public, that could handle every need of the little boy?
Children from all walks of life, from all cities and states around the U.S. would benefit from programs like these. It would not only save the parents money, but it would also help the schools that are no doubtingly spending thousands on just a handful of children. The children could attend a school that can educate and treat effectively and efficiently.
With special needs children, comes many obstacles, why shouldn't they at least have one thing going smoothly?

Poor Families Deserve Choices Too

In lieu of my normal commentary, I am going to post this article. All children deserve great education, not just the few elite. This comes from Go San Angelo, written by Dan Lips, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation.
Poor families, not just elite, deserve school choice
Dan Lips Thursday, October 30, 2008

Sen. Barack Obama has joined a growing club of elected officials who oppose school vouchers for poor families while sending their own children to private school.
In the final presidential debate, the Illinois senator criticized Sen. John McCain's plan to award tuition scholarships to low-income families living in Washington, D.C. He was echoing the sentiment he expressed to the American Federation of Teachers this summer: "But what I do oppose is spending public money for private school vouchers. We need to focus on fixing and improving our public schools, not throwing our hands up and walking away from them."
But Obama did walk away from public schools when the time came to enroll his own daughters. After serving on the board of a charity that gave tens of millions to public education, Obama decided that Chicago public schools weren't good enough for his daughters. He enrolled them in the private University of Chicago lab school, where elementary school tuition costs more than $18,000 per year.
No one should begrudge the senator trying to give his children the best education and opportunities possible. Avoiding the struggling Chicago public schools was a sensible decision. Illinois reports that 34 percent of Chicago students are scoring below state standards in reading. A recent independent report estimated that the city's high-school graduation rate was 52 percent.
But Obama should recognize the urgent need to give poor children - not just his own children - the opportunity to attend a private school. He should sympathize with the low-income families who care just as much about their children's future, but lack a senator's salary to send their children to private school.
To get a sense of just how many parents in his own hometown are desperate for school choice, Obama should consider the experience of the Children's Scholarship Fund.
In 1998, this non-profit organization announced that it would award 2,500 private school scholarships to disadvantaged kids in the Windy City. To be eligible, students had to be from families whose annual income was below $22,000 per year. Families also had to commit to a partial co-payment: $1,000, on average. Scholarships would be awarded for a four-year period, putting participating families on the hook for $4,000 in tuition payments.
In all, 59,186 children in Chicago - 26 percent of the eligible population - entered the lottery for scholarships. This means that some of the poorest families in the community were willing to commit $236 million out of their own pockets to get their children into private schools.
Obama is just the latest in a long line of politicians who speak passionately about the need to stay committed to public schools, while abandoning those same schools when it comes to their own families. In the 1990s, President Clinton vetoed legislation that would have given poor families in D.C. scholarships for private school, even though he had sent his daughter to the elite Sidwell Friends School. Vice President Al Gore also aggressively opposed vouchers during the 2000 campaign despite having sent his own children to private schools.
A recent survey of Congress found that 37 percent of representatives and 45 percent of senators had sent at least one child to private school. (Nationally, only about 10 percent of children attend private schools.) Yet many of the same members continue to oppose providing the same options for disadvantaged children.
These elected officials often try to demonstrate their support for improving public education by pledging to spend more tax dollars on more programs aimed at fixing schools. But these promises should be of little comfort to families who have no choice but to enroll their children in bad public schools today. Furthermore, years of rising school budgets have yielded little improvement in the nation's worst school districts.
After all, in Washington, D.C., the government spends $13,000 per student, yet half of its eighth grade students failed a national reading test. As Sen. McCain has proposed, disadvantaged children living in the District should be given the power to use their share of school funding to attend a safer and more effective school of their parents' choice.
Obama and many of his colleagues understand how important school choice is, at least when it comes to their own children. Do disadvantaged children deserve less?
Dan Lips is education analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank.

Taking a Stance Against the Status Quo!

Jennifer Friedrich, running for the 157th House District in Missouri, had the courage to step up to the plate and challenge the status quo. With school choice being such a heavily debated topic, I find it endearing she feels she can stand up. The teacher unions and other interest groups can be incredibly intimidating...but she is taking that chance.
Now, to be honest, I don't know much about her other views, but I will commend her stance on educational options.

Taken from Sunday's SouthEast Missourian:
"Education should be a free choice including home schooling. This is another example of taxation without representation. Centralized control has given us an educational system that ranks below most western and many third world countries. The choice belongs to the family and the local community, not a big brother nanny state. Vouchers or other systems should be put in place to help home-schoolers, as they consistently rank highest in quality and results."

When Will the Madness Stop?

When will people realize things need to change before anything will get better? When will they realize the schools are failing the children? It is hard to take a bold stance against something that hasn’t changed in so many years, it is hard to fight against school systems and administrators, and it is hard to stand apart.
Missouri is facing several important house and senate races. We need to pay attention to who is running and what they stand for. We also need to look at those people who attack people positions and look at their misguided reasoning.
The race between Republican Luann Ridgeway and Democrat Sandra Aust for the 17th senate seat sure is worth looking into.
This is taken from the Kansas City Star:
She talks in general about being for children and being for schools,” Aust said, “but that’s not her voting record.”
Ridgeway says she has never voted for school vouchers that would provide tax money to parents to pay for their children to attend private schools. But Aust says that’s misleading.
“She calls it tuition tax credits, but it’s all the same,” Aust said, adding that it takes taxpayer money away from public schools and shifts that money to religious and private schools. “We need to be lifting up our teachers and our schools, and making sure we’re doing everything we can to improve our schools.”
Aust says it is all the same, but it is not. Tuition tax credits do not take money away from the schools, additionally, there are several types of tax credits, it is impossible to lump them all together. The bill from last session would give tax credits to donors who give to scholarship granting organizations. The students would then use THAT money to choose their school. The original school does not lose money. Two scenarios here: Aust truly doesn’t understand the difference, or she does know the truth and is trying to use scare tactics. I bet I know which one it is...but either scenario is disturbing!
Ridgeway said she has sponsored a bill for tax credits to provide scholarships for low income students in failing schools to attend private schools. She believes the Kansas City School District is on the verge of failing. Urban school districts have asked for more money and more time, she said, while students attending them have gotten less than adequate education.
“We have to continue working on improving the system,” Ridgeway said.
We need to elect someone who can also promote change and fix the failing status quo!!!

Education in Missouri…Where Does it Stand?

Story from a Mother.
The job of motherhood is not one to be taken lightly. It requires sincere thoughtful attention, diligent effort, and tireless concern. A mother has to look out for her child and predict every possible issue. Unfortunately, that cannot always happen. Life does not always happen the way you think it will.
When I had my second child, I had the expectations of milestone achievements similar to my first. No doubted, every child is different, but you expect some similarities. But then reality hit me and my second was nothing like my first. Things weren’t quite so obvious at first, but as time went on, we knew something was very different. Then he got diagnosed with autism. While we were somewhat expecting that, it was still very hard to cope. Daily challenges are one thing, life challenges are another. We have both.
Now, looking into the education in Missouri beyond the preschool years, I am facing another crisis. My child is not ready to be mainstreamed yet, but the school says he is. I am his mother and I should have to right to decide his future, not some officials.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2007 found that 69 percent of Missouri 8th grade students were not ranked “proficient” in reading and 70 percent were not ranked “proficient” in Math. Yet, they think my child can be properly educated in this system. It seems fairly obvious even non-special education students are having a rough go. I should have the right to decide where my child spends his days, and if I did, I would chose the private school about 7 miles away, that can better educate my son.

Missouri's Education...Worse than I Thought

As a mother of young children, it is impossible for me to stay away from the depressing news of the failures of many of Missouri schools. Being that my children are not yet in school, I may be a little naive on all the facts. I am sure, like many other parents, reading about the lack of education in some of the bigger cities brings a sense of sadness for all those parents. Yet, not living there, I have felt a little secure in my bubble outside the cities. Even though I have always known things could be better here, I never knew how bad they really were.

Reading the Missouri Poliitical News Service, I came across an op-ed written by Dr. Jeanne Sinquefield, titled "Who Needs Help; K-12 Education in Missouri".

Some new facts that may surprise you are:
Fact: Most minority students do not go to school in the metro areas.
Only 30% of black students go to school in St. Louis or Kansas City.

Fact: Most poor performing minority students do not live in Metro areas.
67% of black students testing basic or below go to school outside Kansas City and St. Louis City.

Fact: A small percentage of poor performers live in metro areas.
Only 10% of all students testing basic or below go to school in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Fact: Most poor performing students don’t live in metro areas and are white.
Almost 70% of children testing basic or below and living outside St. Louis and Kansas City are white.

What does this data mean? That solving the minority, metro problem will only affect less than 6% of students in Missouri. Solving the education problem will require an expanded focus on all schools from the bad to the great. Many minority children do poorly outside the metro areas. Almost half of white students need help.

So much emphasis has been placed on the metro areas and not enough on areas outside the cities. While I know it is important for those cities to improve, I also agree with Dr. Sinquefield that the entire state needs improvement.

This news definitely gives me the feeling my little bubble has popped and I hope, for the sake of my children and the rest of the children, things are done to improve education for all.

Who Will Help the Children?

As a young mother, I worried about quality naps, diaper rash, developing fine and gross motor skills, hitting the developmental milestones at the right time, proper nutrition, and of course happiness of my children. These were all things I would try to control, (although no one has total control of these issues, but I gave it my best). Now, as my children are leaving 'my nest' and entering kindergarten, I must relinquish many news concerns to teachers, at least for part of the day.

The problems with the public education system are not new and you would think people would try new things to fix them, not keep trying to same failed policies.
Recently, gubernatorial candidate, Kenny Hulshof announced his plan for education in Missouri. His plan includes more charter schools in Kansas City and children gaining access to scholarship tax credits. His opponent Nixon, however, wants to keep the status quo, the same plans that have been and will continue to fail our children.

Nixon even has the audacity to criticize Hulshof for accepting political contributions from another school choice advocate, Rex Sinquefield. Nixon says " I have never accepted money from Mr. Sinquefield or any of his Political Action Committees, and I certainly never will. Mr. Sinquefield's pro-voucher agenda undermines our public school system and as a product of Missouri's public schools, I believe we must strengthen our school system, not weaken it."
Two points here: Nixon would NEVER be offered money by Sinquefield, secondly, its Nixon's plans that will keep our schools failing, not Sinquefield's. Nixon's plans will simply keep things the way they are...broken!

Education reform plans, such as those by Hulshof and Sinquefield, are plans that intend to strengthen the schools, grant good education to all children, and stimulate growth and change within the entire program.

Congratulations to Hulshof for taking a stand against failed systems. I can only hope Missourians will make the right vote, the vote for change.

Re-examining Testing of Special Needs Children?

In the state of California, a student must pass a high school exit exam in order to earn a diploma.  That basic theory reminds me of a reform idea Jeb Bush used in Florida, which would not let children progress to the 4th grade if they were not reading at a 3rd grade level.  Previously, the children who could not read were not 'discovered' until the 10th grade.  Once a child is in the 10th grade, they are more likely to drop out than to learn to read at that point in the game. 

So California students must pass this test in order to officially graduate.  It makes sense...what is the point in giving them a diploma if in fact they have  not been sufficiently educated?  On the other side of this coin, I am against over regulation by the government and the power they seem to have in every area of our lives. 

For several years, special education students in California were exempt from taking these tests, but currently they are required to do so.  On one hand, a child should be educated properly in order to graduate but special education children show different ways of learning.  This past year, nearly half of the special education students failed this exam.  The parents and the children are mortified, depressed, and angered at the testing methods.  An article in a StudyMBA blog  as well as the Los Angeles Times depicts the parents frustrations with the testing methods. 

If this were happening in Missouri to my child in the public schools, I would be more angry with the schools and its teaching than the tests.  I know many Missouri public schools that cannot effectively educate special needs children.  The state should allow the parents of those children to find schools that can educate them. 

Have the parents in California faced this issue and concern?  Undoubtedly, the parents are upset when their child fails, but perhaps it is the school's fault???

Special Needs Advocate?

Watching the Democratic and Republican Conventions had me on the edge of my seat...well, some of it at least.  As an aunt of a special needs child, I relate to Palin on some level.  I have witnessed my sister raise her 9 year old daughter with autism.  Things have not been easy for her, yet she is blessed with her amazing child nonetheless.  Everyday presents challenges, some knows and others completely unpredictable.  Sarah Palin promises to be an advocate if she and McCain are elected President and Vice President.  I have heard various things from special needs parents and their opinion on her stance.  While some parents aren't convinced because no specifics were laid out, others were quite pleased knowing that not only a mother, but a mother of special needs, knows what works and what doesn't.  She will do her best to help these children and their families. 

    

Of course, other critics are concerned with her stance on school choice and whether choice would only drain money from public education and special public education.  Well, here is where I am baffled by those critics of not only Palin but choice itself.  My sister has struggled all these years to get good education for her daughter.  If she were allowed choice, she could have chosen to send her child to a neighboring public school with an amazing special education program or to the private school just two blocks away that has better services for special needs children.  Educational choices are incredibly important to all parents, but especially those with special needs children. 

    

I hope and pray for all families like my sister's that Palin not only advocates for special needs children in other areas, but for educational choices.  With her intentions to help special needs families and her support of school choice, I think we could have a great combination on our hands. 

    

Many other states have created programs that allow children with special needs to receive scholarships that can be used at any public or private school, and the results have been astounding.  Not only has the parental satisfaction level skyrocketed, but the children's success is through the roof. 

    

This past year, Missouri legislators were not up to the task to allow for such a program, but hopefully they will soon realize it needs to be done. 

 

This is from a blog: "Blessed with Autism":

The central concern of many parents with children who have special needs is the financing to fulfill the decades-old federal mandate requiring public schools to offer educational services to their children — or pay for them in nonpublic school settings.

Exactly my point...give them the choice to go to nonpublic settings.  What have we got to lose?

Empowerment

Any parent of a child on the Autism Spectrum will tell you life is not easy and definitely not something fabricated. Life with a child with autism is a challenging life, one with obstacle after obstacle. Families need to be empowered to stay strong and fight for their child's rights. Unfortunately, some people are naive about the truths about life with autism. The reality is that 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism. While Missouri has improved in many ways, such as increasing funding for diagnosis and treatment, there are still ways to improve.

The Blue Ribbon Panel on Autism was created by Michael Gibbons to figure out the best ways to help families affected by autism. The panel consisted of 16 people, including lawmakers, educators, parents, doctors, and health officials. From the discussions in the panel, the recommendations were brought to light. It created the Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders, which helps advise the government how to implement the best models brought about during panel discussions. Also created was the Office of Autism Services, which serves as a medium to help families navigate through the various services, resources, and care services available.

Missouri has made these advancements in Autism early diagnosis and treatment, but there are still many more things to do to help. Not only do people need to be aware of the condition and make treatments available, they also need to make sure children are receiving the education they need. Early detection helps children enroll in special needs preschools, but unfortunately, after that, many children are without access to those schools. Many public schools are simply not equipped to properly educate and treat children on the spectrum. Those children should be granted access to the schools that are capable of properly educating. Autism awareness is a stepping stone to this problem, an important one, but it is time we look beyond what we now know and look to changing how special needs education is delivered.

Key Elements

Teaching children with special needs takes an extra talented teacher to know what the child needs. There are special steps in order to make sure the child is getting the education he/she needs, which can be hard to perfect in some situations. Unfortunately, not every public school can provide the child with that type of teacher. This is not to say that private schools can always provide that either. While it may be easy to know what needs to be done, it is harder to actually implement those plans.

According to Education.com, there are several key elements to effectively teaching special needs children:

• A teacher who sets high expectations for the child and who encourages peer interaction and mentoringas appropriate.
  
• Special and regular educators who collaborate in instruction and who have a sense of ownership in the process.
  
• Individualized instruction with decisions based on careful collection and analysis of data focused on measurablegoals and behaviors
  
• Special services are brought into the classroom to facilitate generalization and to prevent stigmatization
  
• A collaborative team approach -including regular and special educators, school administrators, supplemental school personnel, and parents or guardians -is employed to set goals and to evaluate progress of the IEP
  
• An assumption that all children can acquire skills if instruction is modified to help the child succeed
  
• Adapting the school environment by extending school hours or the school year and coordinating with home caregivers.
  
  When children are forced to attend schools (by geographical location or lack of funds to attend others) and not receiving the education they require, they are missing out on windows to their future. Education is the first step in life....from the day you are born, you are learning new things. If a child's brain is not encouraged to grow and grow correctly, it will stagnate and the child's life will forever suffer. Here the scenario changes...there is a private school down the road that has excellent special needs teachers...but the parents cannot afford it. Or the neighboring school district has the best special needs teachers around, but the family lives just outside the borders. Guess who is ultimately negatively impacted by this? The child! Now, imagine if the parents and the child had the choice...wouldn't that be nice?

Funding solutions for children with autism

Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation providing $5 million for the Thompson Center for Autism in Columbia on June 30. The significant investment will help those with Autism throughout the state and further demonstrates his commitment to these families.

His goals are to raise awareness and increase treatment options for Missouri children. For this to be possible, Blunt realizes the importance of adequate funding for places like the Thompson Center. The center was created in April 2005 to promote research, treatment and education to improve the lives of children with neurological conditions.

Autism cases are becoming significantly more common. One in 150 kids—and even more shockingly—one in 94 boys will be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder—which totals more then 4,200 people in Missouri.

Blunt has passionately fought for these individuals, obtaining $3.9 million in state funding last year for a day treatment program in Joplin (the first in Missouri), to expand staff and training therefore reduce waitlist for Autism diagnosis and treatments and $1 million for other Autism projects. Overall, Blunt has secured $17.6 million for the cause.

http://governor.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=EkEuluAFylniSUVCVP&style=Default+News+Style&tmpl=newsitem

A virtual school year wrapping up

By Bob Priddy
The state's first virtual school year is virtually over. The program has had its successes and its failures.
The virtual school program lets students study from home, working through the computer with distant teachers. Program Coordinator Curt Fuchs says 32-hundred students enrolled, but forty percent dropped out--perhaps because the courses proved to be tougher than they thought they would be. Some just flunked out, many of them doing so for the reasons students flunk regular classes.
But Fuchs says there were a lot of successes, such as the child of some missionaries in New Guinea who took four advance placement courses and a fifth course as a high school junior and passed them all. He will enter his senior year in high school with four college courses already to his credit, thanks to the Virtual School Program.
Fuchs says Missouri started with a much larger number of students than most other states have started with. Fuchs says the education department also learned it needs more policies to deal with the program.
Because students enrolled at various times, they will finish their work at various times. Fuchs says the last of this school years' students should finish next month. Enrollment already has begun for the next virtual school year.

Missouri Trying Alternate Schooling Methods...

Slowly, but surely, I am seeing innovative efforts in the great state of Missouri to branch away from the traditional and sometimes failing education program. The state implemented, for the first time, a virtual school year. This allows children to work from home or the neighborhood library...anywhere that has Internet. Courses are available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This program allows all schools throughout Missouri to offer students equal access to a broader array of coursework, let alone allowing more flexibility and a potentially easier learning environment. The fact remains, not every child in the public education program in Missouri has access to a great education and this can be seen as one step closer to that...granting something to everyone, independent of where they live. Additionally, this program could help children with disabilities who may have problems physically getting to schools, or for those students who need to take classes in which their teachers are not able to teach well. The possibilities are endless. Of course, being the first year, there are always hurdles to jump through and lessons to learn. Either way...it is some sort of change!

Parents of Autistic Children Still Searching for Help

Having a child with autism is not only trying on parents emotionally, but financially as well. This past legislative session I watched as a bill went around and around...a bill that could have helped thousands of children with autism or other special needs. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass. Instead of looking out for those children, certain legislators seemed more concerned with how their vote would look to certain groups, such as the teacher unions. Below is an article taken from The Joplin Globe. Parents demonstrate how incredibly expensive it is to take care of and educate a child with autism. Hopefully this state autism commission will help combat some of those issues, however, I hope next session, a similar special needs bill will come about. Perhaps not being an election year will force those legislators to think about the issue...not how their vote looks to a small number of groups.
Lieutenant governor signs bill creating state autism commission
By Joe Hadsall
jhadsall@joplinglobe.com
A statewide commission on autism spectrum disorders will be assembled and, by July 1 of next year, will produce a plan for Missouri to offer treatment, training and other services.
Trisha Buerge, of Joplin, said she appreciated hearing the news. She is the mother of Jaxon, a 5-year-old autistic child who receives treatment from the Ozark Center for Autism.
“I think it’s important for the commission to provide information to the Legislature,” Buerge said. “They should know what autistic kids need to grow into successful adults.”
Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder visited the Ozark Center for Autism in Joplin on Monday and signed Senate Bill 768, which calls for the commission’s creation. The commission will be made up of representatives from the General Assembly, health-related state agencies and autism-related organizations, and parents. Kinder was filling in for Gov. Matt Blunt, who is out of state.
The bill also creates the Office of Autism Services within the Department of Mental Health.
Paula Baker, chief executive of the Ozark Center, said one of every 150 children today is diagnosed with some form of autism.
The state has spent more than $15.3 million in new money on autism over the past two years. The Ozark Center on Autism was created as a result of that funding.
Tysha Van Becelaere, of Pittsburg, Kan., said her son, Xander, has benefited from the center.
“The school district wasn’t able to provide enough of the speech therapy that he needed,” Van Becelaere said. “We tried to supplement that cost with insurance, but we were denied.”
Children at the center receive applied behavioral analysis, an intensive form of one-on-one training. But the treatment is expensive: A year of treatment at the center costs about $72,000.
Baker said the center offers a sliding scale to parents based on their income. Other costs are paid for by state allocations and private gifts. But it is enough for only 13 children to be admitted into the program this year, she said.
Kinder spokesman Gary McElyea said members of the state commission should be chosen fairly quickly.
Buerge said the commission’s top priority should be to address the cost of applied behavioral analysis, and that health companies should help cover it.
“Insurance coverage should be mandated,” Buerge said. “We’ve paid about $70,000 a year over the last four years.”
But Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, said he wasn’t sure whether that extra money should come from the state’s general revenue or from insurance-premium payers.
“It won’t come from the insurance companies, that’s for sure,” Nodler said. “It will come from premium payers. But as the state gets a grasp on the issue of uninsured citizens, a system that relies on forcing insurance to cover costs will likely exacerbate that problem.”
Missouri currently is focused on using money for treatment of autism, Nodler said. But as the commission develops a plan, the state should focus more on researching the causes of autism, he said.


Financial impact

Senate Bill 768, which was signed Monday by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, will cost an estimated $630,504 over the next three fiscal years.

Autism...So Many Unknowns

My child has autism. This condition throws you curve balls out of nowhere, keeps you on your toes 24-7, tries your patience all while you love your child more and more everyday. I do not have an opinion on how children get autism, the research is not stable. I have not seen the one magical cure come about yet, but I know there is progress. Neurofeedback is something new, although I have heard about it some of the years. As it turns out, the University of Missouri is conducting a study on it! This project makes my light at the end of the tunnel a little brighter.

University of Missouri researcher testing neurofeedback for autistic children

Playing a video game called ‘Space Race’ that requires nothing more than brainpower to make rockets on a computer screen move forward is more than just fun and games. A University of Missouri researcher is using video games to see if the brainwaves of children with autism can be ‘retrained’ to improve focus and concentration.

“We are trying to awaken their brains. Often children with autism disconnect and we want to use neurofeedback to teach them how it feels to pay attention and be more alert. We want to teach them to regulate their own brain function,” said Guy McCormack, chair of the occupational therapy and occupational science department in the MU School of Health Professions. “The ultimate goal is to lay down new neural pathways and, hopefully, see changes in focus and attention span, social interaction, improved sleep, and appetite.”

Neurofeedback is a way of observing how the brain works from moment to moment. While the children play the video games, their concentration and focus are rewarded by movements on the screen and special sounds. If attention wanes, the rocket on the screen slows, sounds stop and the color changes until more attention is given to the image. As this occurs, researches watch another screen that monitors brainwave activity. The brainwave activity is measured by placing sensors on the scalp.

“The more neurofeedback training given to a child with autism, the more often the correct brain pathways are used and the stronger they become. It’s like a ‘tune-up’ for a brain that is out of sync,” McCormack said. “The brain has a lot of plasticity and, as children continue this training, it becomes engrained and spills into other parts of their lives.”

Neurofeedback technology was designed by NASA for flight simulations. It also is used to help high-powered executives achieve peak performance and to help athletes train their brains to ‘get into a zone.’

“The aim of neurofeedback is to enable children to consciously control their brainwave activity by being rewarded for their ability to focus,” McCormack said. “Neurofeedback can be compared to physical conditioning for the brain.”

McCormack says a body of evidence already exists that has found the use of neurofeedback training helps with other neurological disorders such as traumatic brain injuries, strokes, seizures, depression, anxiety disorders, alcoholism and premenstrual syndrome.

The Sinquefield Charitable Foundation gave $213,511 to fund McCormack’s study of neurofeedback for treatment of autism. The study is being conducted at the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Video: Today and Tomorrow Foundation scholarships offered in St. Louis

...to kill a Mockingbird

The Show-Me Institute Blog has a really interesting insight into the Teacher Pay bill that died briefly (and is currently being pulled from its shallow grave). The language (providing tax credits for donations made into a scholarship fund) stripped from the bill was a seemingly fatal blow for the millions of dollars in raises to public school teachers. If you’re not familiar with the politics of the issue, it goes a little like this: teachers unions in the state (and nationally) are diametrically opposed to tuition tax credits or any options/choice the state may offer to kids who default to the public schools and keep them in business, so to speak. The teachers unions in Missouri have been pushing this essential pay-raise package for teachers (and now nurses and bus drivers), and when it made it into an Omnibus education bill in the house this week, it came with the same language of scholarship tax credit for special needs children they’ve been working overtime to kill.

Here is what the Show-Me Institute writes about this conundrum:


Somebody had the great idea of attaching the Special Needs Tax Credit bill to the teacher pay bill — which is a pretty brilliant idea, in my opinion. If the teachers' unions support increased teacher pay (with no merit pay, of course ... that would just be too crazy for us to pay good teachers what they deserve), and the school choice advocates support tax credits for autistic children, why not combine both provisions?

It turns out, though, that that was the deal-breaker.

From the Post-Dispatch’s coverage:

When the scholarship program was inserted into the teacher pay bill last week, two large teacher groups dropped their support for it. A lobbyist for the Missouri National Education Association said his group was "passionately opposed."

What a shock.

Who are the teachers' unions looking out for? The teachers, the students, or their own institutional power? The unions decided that they would rather prevent teachers — the people they reportedly represent — from earning pay raises so that they could ensure that no infinitesimal limit to their power could take root in a tax credit bill designed to help autistic children who aren’t being served by the public schools.

I’m sorry, students and teachers of Missouri, that there are people out there working so hard to prevent improvements in the state's education system.

Unfortunately, that assessment seems right on target given what went down.

Dead? Or Merely Sleeping?

An update:

Missouri’s Special Needs Scholarship tax credit legislation was recently folded into an Omnibus Education Bill on teacher pay, HB 2040/2430. Legislators debated the language about Special Needs students in an especially heated session this Wednesday. Speaker Rod Jetton’s comments allude to the incident of an altercation between Speaker Pro-Tem Steve Tilley and Representatives Trent Skaggs and Brian Nieves. I imagine it happened in a “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” kind of way, after reading some eye-witness reports.

Ultimately, the scholarship language was stripped from the bill via an amendment from Rep. Maynard Wallace, a former public school Superintendent.

Speaker Pro-Tem Tilley was quoted as saying that the teacher pay bill wouldn’t “see the light of day” after the loss of the scholarship tax credit language, but the cry this morning is that the bill may be resurrected. It’s a significant loss for both sides of the aisle if assistance for both teachers and special needs children cannot come to terms with one another.

We’ll see what the day brings. You've gotta admire Tilley for putting his foot down on this one.

Scholarship tax credits: extending a right

KWMU briefs on the ongoing tuition tax credit legislation:

The Missouri Senate has set aside a bill that would provide scholarships for disabled children to attend better-performing public or private schools.

It would also provide state tax breaks to private donors who fund them.

Supporters say the bill would provide more opportunity for kids afflicted with various types of disabilities to get a good education.

But State Senator Rita Heard Days (D, St. Louis) expressed concern that some kids could be worse off by switching schools.

"So often we throw things to the private entity, and we have no accountability about that process...special needs children are indeed special, and I want to make sure that wherever they're being educated that we know what they're doing, we know the situations that they're in, and we know that they are getting a proper education," Days said.

Democrats spent over two hours on Monday discussing and questioning the bill in what appeared to be a potential filibuster.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Charlie Shields (R, St. Joseph) says he hopes an agreement can be reached before the end of session.

"It falls in that category, if we can get past the emotion and get past the 'camel's nose under the tent' arguments, that there might be something that can be worked out on it," Shields said.

Opponents believe the bill is a back-door attempt to legalize private school vouchers in Missouri.

Interesting point made by Rep. Days. We do, often, for lack of a better term “thrown things at the private sector”. Things like health care, construction, food, haircuts, literature, research and development about major diseases, lawn furniture, automobiles, clothing…

It is this private sector that makes this NOT a socialist country, and while I would second her sentiment that special needs children need to be in a safe and appropriate environment, I just don’t see how the state can make that decision any better than a parent can. Right now families with special needs children face tremendous obstacles to getting the best education, and this legislation offers a very real, very viable solution. It catalyzes the philanthropic community to support special needs education specifically, and gives families the ability to take that gift and use it toward the most appropriate option for their child.

So while I understand the sentiment, I have to think, well, parents make choices all the time for their children. They choose what kind of insurance to get, they plan a diet, and they choose the most appropriate toys for their child’s age. Parents choose what daycare to go to, and what activities their child will participate in, and inherent in that is the fact that parents are qualified to make choices that affect their children. These areas of a child’s life are just as important and serious as K-12 education, and those who have the money are unrestricted and free to make that choice. While Rep. Days may care deeply and want your child to be safe and succeed, it really should be your choice as a parent with custody of a child to determine what education works best for your special needs child.

It is obvious that ALL parents DO have a right to send their child to an alternative school. They do! They may not have the money, but they have a right. The choice being made by the state on special needs tax credit is not whether parents have a right to choose another school, nor is it a decision about the quality of private schools. The choice is whether Missouri will give all parents of special needs children the choice that only some now have. They don’t have that choice because they are more qualified to make it, but because they have the finances to pay for tuition. For special needs children, tuition to specialty schools can run too high for even middle class families to afford.

If the concern is that kids will be “worse off” at a new school, then why are we not also concerned about students who are currently “worse off” at a public school that isn’t conducive to their disability?

Rep. Scharnhorst discusses Bryce's Law

Missouri Education: In need of reform

The need for autism education reform in Missouri (Part 2)

The need for autism education reform in Missouri

Some Unions Are Not Thinking About the Children!

Something to think about...thousands of poor special needs children are finally getting the services and education they need and deserve...what do you do? Be happy they have that chance, not even notice, or threaten to sure to make sure it does not keep happening? The last option...who would this, right? Well, an education union in Florida is! And they say they only care about the children, well obviously not! I find this completely absurd, unthinkable!



According to this Florida blog, Political Forum:



A Florida education union is threatening to sue to shut down a school choice program in the state if the program expands. They have already successfully sued to shut down a previous voucher program in the state. Basically, if "too many" families opt for school choice, the nuclear litigation weapons will be launched by the union, which is bound and determined that Floridian children be taught their way, as opposed to being taught the best way. Remember all of this the next time you hear educational unions tell you that they only want what is best for your children. Poppycock. They only want what is best for the unions' political power and for the job security of union members.



The Cato at Liberty had this to say: Keep in mind that scholarship organizations must allocate all donations to scholarships as they receive them, they can’t carry over more than 25% of donations from one year to the next, and the maximum scholarship value is fixed at $3,750 (far below per pupil spending in the public schools). So the only way the total value of scholarship donations could triple would be for triple the number of low-income families to ask for them.

So the Florida Education Association is saying that if too many poor parents want to escape the public schools and get their kids into independent schools, it will shut them and this whole program down.



Now, this brings us to Missouri. We are trying to pass a similar program, one that would give scholarships to thousands of Missouri's special needs. Lets hope Missouri will do the right thing and pass it. Those education unions are trying to stop the program from passing here. They seem to act like they are all for the children, but they are really only for the children if they can teach them their way. This is evident in Florida and it becoming evident here by the way they are trying to keep this from passing. However, the unions way is obviously not cutting it...if it were, why would people be so adamant about education reform and why would the schools and the children be failing? Absurdity is what I call it!

What KIDS need

I am the parent of a special needs child and I am so discouraged with
our elected officials. It is becoming more clear to me that the issue
of SPECIAL NEEDS that is on the table this session has become a
partisan issue. Not an issue to help children in need. Children with
special needs. What has happened to you people? You CHOOSE to call
tax-credits ..VOUCHERS...this is not vouchers. You ELECTED officials
KNOW this ...and if you don't...why are you there? Why are you
PRETENDING to represent. This isn't a democrat or republican
issue...it's a "kids help me, I'm in trouble" issue. And you are
ignoring them. I am a lifelong registered democrat. STOP being
afraid of a teachers union. This isn't against them....it's FOR the
kids...their families, like mine that struggle to keep them abreast.
NOT EVEN AHEAD...simply abreast. Do you have any idea what it's like
to hear my son say...."I just want to be normal." He is normal...he
just can't get it from his brain to the paper. PLEASE PLEASE set
aside your partisan,stance and think.

-Susan

Two paths diverge in the wood

I went to a public school from Kindergarten through high school graduation, and received a great education. I took several honors classes and greatly benefited from them. My science teachers helped me gain an affinity for Chemistry and Physics, I took journalism classes and jewelry class; I sang and danced after school in nationally competitive choirs and learned to love government and politics.

I was very well prepared to write in college, and I felt well-prepared all around. My teachers were inspiring and challenging, so I know from experience how good public schools can be, and I wouldn’t have traded my public school for any private school. I think I was actually better prepared than some of my college mates who had gone to private schools.

So take me quite seriously when I recognize the limits of a public school. I know many students who did not excel in our public school, one in particular was my brother. He is a much more visual and auditory learner, and in recognizing the differences between us as learners I can understand that a public school that focuses on learning through reading is not always the best fit. The same can be said of special needs education. Many students will thrive with what public education has to offer, but those who are not will benefit more from an education that meets them where they are cognitively and developmentally.

My public high school offered choices. We had an adjoining program that offered lots of hands-on classes, and my brother took to culinary arts and did very well. I think his success there even motivated him to try harder at courses that were more difficult for him.

One Thanksgiving my brother made a gorgeous and delicious apple pie from scratch, which was a sort of symbol for me. I cannot bake to save my life! Even the kits where you only have to add water are a challenge—they always seem to end up burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. And I know my brother would not have that skill, which has led him to a great job in nutrition at an Alzheimer’s care facility, if he hadn’t had the opportunity to take those classes.

For all of the kids in Missouri who simply need something else, the proposed tuition tax credit scholarship for special needs students can make that happen, especially for families that cannot afford it on their own. My public school saw the benefit of offering choices and many kids really excelled because of it. It doesn’t mean that public school are bad—certainly in many cases they are amazingly proficient—it just means that schools, like the students they teach, aren’t perfect or flawless. Offering choices in education means simply that more schools can work at meeting a child’s need, and that child in turn can take his or her skills where they will be most nurtured.

Parents on educating children with Autism

One thing I find striking about the support for Bryce’s Law is that so much is coming from parents, educators and schools that would not benefit from the scholarship—but they understand the need and that other parents aren’t getting the help they’ve found.

Even the bill’s sponsor knows of the challenges in raising a child with special needs. Dwight Scharnhorst’s grandson had Autism and epilepsy, and succumbed too young to his epilepsy, but Rep. Scharnhorst talks brightly about how much he learned from Bryce.

Bryce’s Law was designed with the best interests of special needs children in mind—and parents agree it will open up opportunities for their children. I’ve covered so much of the criticism and explained why the fears that educrats play upon are quite unfounded, and I could keep repeating the fact until I’m blue in the face, but instead I’d like to cover some of the extraordinary parents who are heroes, advocates, and innovators.

Nashville’s Leslie Face:

Leslie Face has two sons. They are the light of her life, and she delights in their individual personalities. However, with a master’s degree in education, Face knew long before her sons were diagnosed with autism that they were different
“I knew they had special needs,” said Face. “But it was still tough to get the official diagnosis. I started researching constantly about it to learn everything I could, and I found that early and consistent intervention can make a tremendous difference in the lives of these kids.”
Since then, she has spent several days a week loading her boys into the car, making her way to Nashville so that they could attend various therapy appointments and then fighting traffic to get back.

Face thought about others in her position and wondered what they do to maintain jobs while getting their children the help that they need.

“Going to Nashville for appointments can be an all-day process,” she said. “And with children who have special needs, the entire thing can be very stressful as they often react poorly to such excursions.”

It was with that understanding that Face decided to start “Faces of Hope,” an organization dedicated to providing services for special-needs children in Sumner and surrounding counties.

“Autism comes with an entire range of needs, as do other disabilities,” said Face. “While the schools do a great job, there is so much more to it if the child is going to have a well-rounded life.”

Kemp believes a center in Sumner County will alleviate many problems for families who have a difficult time coordinating schedules to get their children to Nashville for those services.

“Parents are never prepared to hear a child has special needs,” she said. “Your children are born, and you have all these hopes and desires for them, and then you get told there are going to be some significant obstacles for them. Where do you go with that?”
With that mindset, Face plans to create a center offering services to everyone, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

“Sometimes families with special needs children have to decide whether to buy groceries or buy therapy for the children that week,” she said. “Nobody should have to make that choice.”


Georgina in California:

Hello, my name is Georgina and I live in Ca. I know you are doing a story in our own area but if you could please somehow pass it over to other stations around the US.

I say that because there are so many families who children have this and struggle so much. And if we educate our media, maybe some awareness can come out of it.

I suggest, if you have not already been told, covering about how many times most families have to go to see doctors before they get the right diagnose. That there are still doctors out there like my Ped. doctor which had told me that my son was ADHD and then just gave me drugs for it.

And just like any other parent, I tried it but it did not work. He got worse, so bad that he attacked me. And he was never like that. So we stop the drugs and we had to go ourselves to see what we needed to do.

It wasn't until my teacher who was at one point a child psychologist advised me to see a neuro doctor then go to get an psychological evaluation that I learned what was wrong. We went through hoops before we found out what was wrong with him. And cover please please not just the children that can not function so well with autism but the high functioning one. You don't know what it is like for a parent (like me) who child is like that and how other people treat him when he is having a melt down.

If you ask parents like us, you would be amazed on how many people look at them and say there is nothing wrong with them. And the school system... yeah, they treat them like nothing is wrong with them either because they don't look like the rest of the other kids who have it and are in bad cases. When I tried to give my son's teacher papers on or about his condition, she did not take it. She said that she had a child who had a different type [of autism]. And what people don't understand that yes there are different types but they are different in other areas.

So now we can only hope that his school will either give him what he needs or we may have to get him changed. There are many parents who are battling with their schools about this... you would be amazed or unless you know of many parents already going through that. Thank you for hearing my input. I do hope I have helped a little!

Georgina

Miles’ Mom, Missouri:

It is exhausting dealing with death. It is exhausting dealing with disabilities. Being a mother is too much sometimes. Being a wife, a teacher, a sister and a friend requires giving when there is nothing to give. Of course, there is an upside…or rather lots of them:

- Celebrating and remembering a single person’s amazing life.
- Small, tiny, little itty bitty, accomplishments…like saying “TH” at age three…
- Dates-when you only get three a year with the person who still makes butterflies in your stomach.
- Students who e-mail you five years later.
- Siblings who save your life.
- And lots and lots of friends and co-workers and neighbors and complete strangers who make your life complete and full, and define who you are and what you do in beautiful ways.

As the purpose of this blog is to discuss issues related to dealing with life and children with disabilities. I’ll do that. First and foremost, I’ll say that it is so easy to get lost in the rush of things and I think that is our biggest mistake. The one we’ll regret the most when we look back at this time in our lives.

After 36 years, only three of them spent living w/ACWD I keep thinking I am normal. If you’ve read this blog, you know I routinely go through the realization that LIFE is different with a child with disabilities…I tried to get a dog…didn’t work. Selling the house took 14 months…I’ve lost more friends than I’ve kept…My husband loves me still only because we were meant to be (circumstances have no effect on this kind of love…lucky, lucky beloved me), all holidays pretty much suck…So here is my big life/death realization…STOP RUSHING!

My father died on Thursday February 3, 2008. Since that day, I have heard that phrase at least 25 times. Brother, sisters, in-laws and even strangers keep saying to me, “sit down,” “relax,” “take it easy and just grieve.” Let’s see…I have also been called Mary Poppins, OCD, and totally frigging hyperactive.

All I can think is that my husband took off the day to be with my kids, so I can help out. There is no time for me to help at my leisure. I actually can’t just relax and grieve and think to myself I’ll be there when they need me. My life simply does not work that way. I actually need to schedule according to my life when I can “be there” for people and that just sucks. I probably am a spaz, but it gets stuff done, Here and now I will formally accept the titles of Pollyanna, Mary Poppins and I will revel in their blessings.

My Irish Wake will be perfect, the bagpipers will rock, the eulogies will be verbose, yet pithy. So, my Father died on Thursday. On Saturday we had an appointment with a major news station to discussion tax scholarships for children with disabilities. We wove the interview into our lives hoping that we could some sort of difference. Our feeling is that we have a duty to make a difference. There was lots of cleaning and lots of research. I know for sure I looked like shit on the camera. On Sunday I taught my Mom how to pay all her bills on-line. That required lots and lots of beer…

Oh, yeah, and the Super Bowl party we were supposed to host for my Dad. Right now at 9:50 I’m writing this and have no idea who won or lost, but think about how much my dad wanted New England to win since he’s from there. And I still have no idea how I am going to conduct the funeral because, as ALWAYS, I have no one to watch or care for my sign language speaking baby…

Sunday evening I realized that on Wednesday, the day after the funeral, we have an appointment at Children Mercy Hospital’s Disability Clinic to diagnose Miles. Three years we’ve been waiting for a diagnosis and this appointment has been on the calendar for 7 months. I haven’t filled out all the paper work and I have not finished the program for the funeral. I have to meet with a caterer, a bagpiper, a choir director, a cremator, a priest. I have make 150 color copies of an obituary; I have to set up “final salutes” with the US Navy and the Knights of Columbus. I have to send a mass e-mail to my students convincing them that they should keep doing the work assigned in the syllabus even though I am not holding class.

There are so many small things I haven’t even touched on here. Such as Valentine’s Day, my sister’s birthday, finding a new speech therapist for Miles, Baseball or soccer for Zen? And really all I can think of is life…death…What do I want my last thoughts to be…Yes….yes…I was okay…I loved well…because of that I was loved…I loved and was loved….

So, yes…I’ll let it all go for a bit. Someone else can make sure everything gets done, every step is researched, and planned…all the obligations are kept…Sign language is practiced, lunches, reference letters written, friends know I love them, husband gets a tech thing for V-Day. All of it floating up into the sky in a big hot air balloon of responsibilities.

I’m just going to live for a few minutes and see what it feels like. I’d be willing to bet it feels real, real good to just feel and watch all that love out there…

Article in St. Louis American is misleading

Disability disguise

Missouri Pro-Vote says that the school choice movement is now hiding behind special-needs students in its efforts to privatize public education in the state. Pro-Vote is urging advocates of public education to call or email their state representative and tell them to protect our public schools by voting “NO!” on House Bill 1886. HOW HORRIBLE IS IT THEY SAY THE SCHOOL CHOICE MOVEMENT IS HIDING IN SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN? WHERE IS THE NEA HIDING THEN? THIS NEGATIVITY IS ONLY GOING TO HURT SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN. IT DOES NOT HURT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, IN FACT, IT WOULD HELP THEM! IF A SCHOOL CANNOT PROPERLY EDUCATE A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD, IT MAY BE DRAINING RESOURCES TO TRY. IF THIS LEGISLATION PASSED, IT WOULD ALLOW THAT CHILD TO CHANGE SCHOOLS, PAID FOR BY PRIVATE MONIES, AND LET THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE OTHER CHILDREN. IT IS NOT TRYING TO PRIVATIZE PUBLIC EDUCATION, IT IS TRYING TO GIVE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN A CHANCE. NOT EVERY SCHOOL CAN EDUCATE EVERY SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD PROPERLY...WHY NOT GIVE THOSE CHILDREN A CHANCE SOMEWHERE ELSE? IF THE CHILDREN/PARENTS ARE HAPPY WHERE THEY ARE, THEN THEY STAY THERE. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHILD THAT IS NOT HAPPY AND DOING WELL? WHY SHOULD THEY FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS? IT IS JUST NOT RIGHT!

This bill would create an 80 percent tax credit for donations to private scholarship funds providing payments for students with disabilities to attend private or religious schools. It would do nothing to fulfill the State’s duty to establish and maintain quality schools, but it would divert millions of dollars away from public schools. House Bill 1886 does nothing to help public school students or to fund specific programs to help students with disabilities. IT DOES NOT DIVERT MILLIONS AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OBVIOUSLY, THEY HAVE NO LEGS TO STAND ON HERE SO THEY ARE JUST MAKING THINGS UP. IN FLORIDA, IT HAS SAVED THE STATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE KEY HERE IS "PRIVATE MONEY" WILL BE USED TO PAY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS. DO THEY NOT WANT THESE CHILDREN TO SUCCEED? SURELY, THEY CANNOT BE THAT INSENSITIVE, BUT THAT IS THE WAY THEY COME OFF TO ME. THE TAX CREDITS ARE ARE A GOOD INCENTIVE FOR DONATIONS...AGAIN, NOT GOVERNMENT MONEY.

Pro-Vote urges advocates of public education to call the Missouri Capitol switchboard at 573-751-2000 and ask for your state representative (if needed, first ask the operator to help you identify your legislator). Then ask your legislator where he or she stands on HB 1886. Give them your name and address so they know you are their constituent. After you make the call, let Pro-Vote know how it went. PLEASE DO CALL THE CAPITAL SWITCHBOARD, AND LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE IN SUPPORT OF THIS LEGISLATION! AND INTERESTING PROVOTE WANTS YOU TO CALL AND INFORM THEM ON HOW YOUR LEGISLATOR IS VOTING...ARE PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO BE LITTLE SPIES? I FIND IT A LITTLE FISHY!

Pro-Vote also reports that it has registered over 6,500 new voters in the last two months at mass transit stops in the St. Louis metro area, as part of Pro-Vote’s “non-partisan program to make sure that low and moderate income voters are able to participate in this year’s crucial elections.” THIS LEGISLATION WILL REALLY HELP THE LOWER/MODERATE INCOME VOTERS WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN. SPECIAL SCHOOLS CAN COST THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! I HAVE MET PARENTS IN MY CHILD'S SCHOOL WHO HAVE SOLD THEIR HOUSE AND THEIR CARS IN ORDER TO AFFORD THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT WILL GIVE THEIR CHILD THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY DESERVE.



FOR THOSE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN FAILING IN THEIR SCHOOLS, LETS OPEN UP OUR EYES AND OUR HEARTS AND GET THIS LEGISLATION PASSED!!!

Tax Credits are all around us--why not for Special Needs education?

Tax Credits come in many colors, shapes and sizes. On March 11, 2008, the Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill giving a tax break for Missourians who buy US-made hybrid vehicles.

The bill allows the purchaser of said hybrid to deduct either $2000 or 10 percent of the vehicle’s price (whichever is less).

Another tax credit for Agriculture called the New Generation Cooperative Incentive tax credit (quite a mouthful) has gotten some media attention as Missouri elected officials have taken advantage of them. Specifically, Rep. John Quinn’s farm has received over $200,000 in credits; Sen. Wes Shoemyer has received over $12,000; Sen. Bill Stouffer has received nearly $24,000.

Rep. Brian Munzlinger has received nearly $25,000 in tax credits; Rep. Therese Sander’s husband Theodore has received $18,000 in tax credits; Rep. Jim Whorton has received $5,000 in tax credits; Rep. Terry Witte has received $2,600 in tax credits; and Sen. Frank Barnitz with $1,250 in tax credits.

A tax credit for preserving historic buildings gives a tax deduction of 25% of rehabililitation costs. The Film Production Tax Credit Program provides a state income tax credit to qualified film production companies up to 50% of the company's expenditures in Missouri for production, not to exceed $1 million in tax credits per project. There are many other tax credits mainly focused on stimulating economy and agriculture in Missouri. Neighborhood Assistance Program and Youth Opportunities Program tax credits have been awarded to religious not-for-profits who benefit the community through social projects. Federally, we have tax credits for college tuition, housing and redevelopment.

Tax credits are used to reward good behavior or offset costs for low-income of economically burdened people or businesses. With the myriad of tax credits out there, what is standing in the way of a tax credit for special needs students? The financial burden falls to the family to pay for everything from insurance to tutoring, and again their costs rise when they have to move to another school district or pay for a private school in an effort to get what many people take for granted: an appropriate education.

Let’s reward good behavior, like philanthropists and businesses donating to a fund that offsets tuition costs. Let’s support the families who are supporting Missouri’s precious special needs children and helping them become participating members of society.

Reform is needed, and worthwhile

Sherri Tucker is running for the BOE in Lee’s Summit as an activist for special needs children in the area, because while working to get the best education for her child, who has autism, she has seen areas where there is room for improvement.

This article in the Lee’s Summit Journal had the school district’s autism specialist refute the idea that there is anything wrong with what they offer the wide range of autistic students in the area.

One of the biggest disconnects I’ve seen between the public schools, boards and unions when talking about special needs education reform is that the public schools perceive criticism as an attack on the efficacy of their services. I think most parents are happy with the services their public school can offer a special needs child, and feel that the public schools do a really good job educating almost any type of disability that comes down the pike.

When parents have complaints, and when reform measures like Bryce’s law come up, they are not intended to disparage public schools, but rather to recognize that there is just no way that any given public school can offer the perfect services for every child living in the area. Many children with autism need one-on-one attention and most schools are just not cut out to offer that. Others need a potpourri of styles, and if we asked public schools to provide that we’d run outrageous tabs.

Across the state, however, there are private schools designed specifically to meet all types of special needs, and can be more effective because that is their focus. Special needs likely necessitate a specialized response, and trying to offer that in the rigid structure of the public school setting is a recipe for disaster. Fluidity makes sense for the dynamic nature of autism and many other disabilities, and a private setting can offer that. Bryce’s Law is responding to a definite need, and when it comes down to a choice between a child succeeding or regressing, we can’t afford to squabble about whether it should come from a public or private education.