Broward: Needs Your Urgent Response

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Shhoaglund@... wrote: Hello everyone.... I have very important news for everyone that has a special needs child in Broward Schools. It has recently been decided by Broward Schools that the ESE (Exceptional Student Education) Department will be moved from falling under the Student Services Department to Multicultural/ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages). Both ESE and ESOL subgroups have not met AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), which falls in line with No Child Left Behind. Our

state's FCAT has much to do with that. We, as an ESE, and in particular, an autism community, need to look to our children's learning gains and not get caught up in the rhetoric of FCAT scores. I feel that this new structure of our School District will not support this and will cause greater separation between our children and their typical non-ese peers. It is my opinion that our children continue to be served under the department of Student Services. Under this new proposal, Broward School's director of finance, which manages IDEA funds, will continue to fall under Student Services. The Easy IEP system will continue to fall under Student Services. Our children should remain where their dollars and supports are generated. I do not feel that the continued progress of our children will be achieved without

being part of the very department that is Service based, and I find it extremely inappropriate to be placed under Multicultural/ESOL. The very essence of "inclusion" is, I feel, being dismissed through this separation from the general population of our Broward County students, as it relates to student services. I urge each of you to contact your school board member, as well as the Superintendent, to share your concerns over this recent decision. You can reach them through Browardschools.com or by referring to the list below: robin.bartleman@...mdinnen@...bgallagher@...jennifer.gottlieb@...phyllis.hope@...skraft@...marcia.simmons@...eleanor.sobel@...ruth.lutz@...james.notter@... Thank you for your continued support and advocacy of all of the ESE children of Broward County. Regards, Stacey It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money & Finance.

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