Tonya - Winkleman cases and Public Schools

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[Texas-Autism- Advocacy] Question: Winkleman cases and Public

Schools

Mark or anyone ---

I know this is probably a stupid question -- but do you know how the process

works for schools paying attorneys? What " fund " does that come out of? Like

through an insuranse policy for lawsuits, some line item budget amount they

have, etc? Like with the Winkleman case - that is a relatively small school

district. Surely in their " Special Education " budget they don't have a

million dollars set aside for legal defense -- so where does that money come

from?

Do they use funding from school board unions? Teacher unions?

My point being - would there be a possible legislative action to limit or

halt the amount of funds, or sources of fundings, the schools could use in

paying attorney's?

Parents don't have unions backing them - but how might something like that

work or be set up?

From a Legislative standpoint, I guess I'm not seeing the equity in the

system of Due Process at that level. Even criminals have defense attorneys

hired on their behalf paid by the public. There is no limit to that defense.

How would one get at the source of school funding for attorney fee's - and

have some sort of regulation. Yes, they have a right to defend themselves,

but there is a limit like if the cost of litigation is 3 times what the

amount would be that the parent is requesting, you can no longer use public

funds, etc.

Probably stupid - but more than that - how might a " Parent Union " be set up?

I guess like the legal defense fund question...

mark colditz <markdebctx (DOT) rr.com> wrote:

M. Guppy

Autism is a very silent world; but the potential in that world speaks

volumes.... Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvo cacy.org

" There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to

compromise. We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should

live in one. We cannot debate who should get an inclusive education.

Everyone should. We cannot determine who does and who does not get the right

to make their own choices and forge their own futures. All must. "