Help contact Gov. Bush & ask him to veto Senate Bill 256

[Guest guest]

Senate Bill 256 passed

the Senate and House on Friday. It will go to Governor Bush for his

signature. If it becomes law, children in Hospital Homebound (or who were

in that program and now receive instruction at home through McKay) will no

longer be eligible for a McKay Scholarship. The following is adapted from

a letter written by an acquaintance. Please copy and paste it into a word

processing document and mail, or paste it into an email (with a subject line “Please

veto Senate Bill 256”) to jeb.bush@...

Either way, please include your name and address. Thanks for your

help! Jeanette

May 8, 2006

Governor Jeb Bush

The Capitol

400 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1100

Re: Veto Senate Bill 256 on McKay Scholarship

Accountability

Dear Governor Bush:

I am writing to request

you to veto Senate Bill 256 regarding the McKay Scholarship which would prevent

certain disabled children, who would otherwise be eligible, from qualifying for

the McKay Scholarship because they are homebound for medical or other

reasons.

There are disabled children

who can not be taught in a classroom setting due to medical

reasons. Many of these children are enrolled in a “Hospital

Homebound” program in their public school system. However,

not all of these disabled children receive an appropriate education through the

public school homebound program, because they receive either inadequate hours

of instruction, or have teachers who are not sufficiently trained to teach

children with the particular disability, or both.

For this group of

children in our public school system, the McKay Scholarship offers a choice and

an opportunity to receive a better education.

Children who are

receiving inadequate instructional services at their home through the public

school system should in fairness have an opportunity equal to that of other

disabled children to participate in the McKay Scholarship.

Senate Bill 256 will prevent homebound disabled students from being

eligible by adding a requirement that the student must have " regular and

direct contact with his or her private school teachers at the school’s

physical location.” If you sign Senate Bill 256, the children who are not

receiving an adequate education from a Hospital Homebound program will lose

their eligibility for a McKay Scholarship.

Again, I request that you veto Senate Bill 256. Please allow all

of Florida’s

children to receive the education they deserve regardless of their disability.

Sincerely,