FUND IDEA IN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE!

I received this from a friend via email and am posting as is. Get moving people! Go go go!

Call to Action—Support IDEA Special Education Funding in Federal Stimulus Package

Congress is currently considering legislation that would provide a massive influx of funding for special education programs. In addition to proposed increases to Title I, School Construction, Educational Technology, and other noneducation programs, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would provide an unprecedented $13.6 billion nationally for IDEA. Of that amount, California would receive more than 10%—or $1.36 billion!

Both the House and Senate are slated to vote on the proposal in the coming days. Your voice needs to be heard! In addition to alerting superintendents and board members in your SELPA, we urge you to do two things:

Call your local legislator and ask him/her to call his/her Congressional Representative and urge support for this funding.
Call and write your local Congressional member and ask him/her to vote for this funding.

This is a ROUGH estimates on what the school districts in your SELPA would receive if the funding is approved.

Share this information with parents in your community and coordinate telephone trees to contact members of Congress to urge support of increased funding for special education.

My Child Left Behind

 Every year, my aphasiac child sits on Santa's lap, and when the man asks what she wants, I always say her wish first, then mine: a Cinderella doll (or an Elmo doll or a Blues Clues book or...) and a cure for Rett Syndrome. It is a cheap shot I know, but I still childishly hope that the Big Guy has a direct line to a power greater than me and NIH. But until the cure comes, and just in case it doesn't, what I really wish for is more people to greet us in the supermarket, more invitations to join the PTA, more community organizations with ramps, more day cares that serve children like mine, more cool teenage girl clothes that fit over diapers and leg braces and more sleep . And for Special Education to finally be put on the "nice" list. And for Congress to finally, finally fund special education the full amount as originally conceived in IDEA, finally leaving only sixty percent an unfunded mandate and really leave no child behind-- even those that cannot keep up. With an education, someday my child may be running this blog, instead of me.