Uniting in support of Special Education and TEA reform....

[Guest guest]

I believe we should rally in support of all changes that will benefit our

children with autism and disabilities.

Scholarship legislation if that is introduced next session, teacher training

legislation, impartial due process hearing legislation, reform of TEA

legislation, legislation that will cap attorney fee's schools can spend,

legislation that will allow parents to observe their own child in their own

school, either in person, through a 2-way mirrow, or by video recording of the

day, legislation that will fully fund special education for all school districts

equally, etc.

We should untie as one in support of all legislation that will benefit

children receiving special education services.

Sincerely,

M. Guppy

mom2boysplano wrote:

Oh gosh. I just reread this and it might seem like I was trying to

" get the last word. " I'm sorry if it came across that way.

As I said prior, if you believe a rally of this kind will make the

difference we need and have time for it, you should do it. It

definitely can't hurt. I was just trying to point out that, in my

opinion, the wake-up call of a scholarship program might have had us

further along by now than the need for something like this. It isn't

helpful for me to say that though since the scholarship bill is dead.

If rallying outside the TEA is the future direction, then sounds like

a plan!

> >

> > You may be interested to know that when, at the 2007 TEA Autism

> Conference,

> > I asked Kathy Clayton specifically about using a State Improvement

> Grant to

> > raise the level of training and services for autism in Texas, she

> responded

> > that autism wasn't the biggest problem that special education was

> facing.

> > Disproportionality is. Disproportionality is when kids are placed in

> > special ed –not because they have a disability—but because they've

> had such

> > bad teaching in the regular ed environment that they look and test

> like they

> > have special needs. So even if Texas is going to get a big state

> > improvement grant, the chances of them using it for autism, like

> Missouri

> > did, are pretty slim.

> >

> >

> >

> > I would suggest that we will get never get very far until both Kathy

> Clayton

> > AND Gene Lenz are no longer affiliated with TEA in any way. Maybe

> we can

> > hope they both get a really good job in Alabama or Mississippi . As

> long as

> > they are both around, TEA will continue to dig their heels in against

> > bringing more scientifically proven approaches like various methods

> like ABA

> > into our schools in a systematic and sustainable way.

> >

> > S.

> >

> >

> >

> > " Most people say that is it is the intellect which makes a great

> scientist.

> >

> > They are wrong: it is character. "

> >

> > Albert Einstein

> >

> >

> >

> > From: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

> > [mailto:Texas-Autism-Advocacy ] On Behalf Of

> mom2boysplano

> > Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 1:04 PM

> > To: Texas-Autism-Advocacy

> > Subject: [sPAM] Re: Scholarships and the

> Status Quo

> >

> >

> >

> > I think before we support and push for

> > a funding increase, we need to look at where the money is going

> > already, why Sp Ed grants aren't being applied for in Texas that all

> > other states are receiving,

> >

> > 01 PM

> >

> >

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> 4/20/2008

> > 3:01 PM

> >

> >

> >

> >