June l0, 2005
Barbara Gantwerk,
Director
Office Of Special Education Programs
Department of Education
P.O. Box 500
Trenton, NJ 08625-0500
Dear Ms. Gantwerk,
I am writing to you to express my concern about the possible changes that IDEIA 2004 will have in New Jersey.
I want you to know that I represent parent support group BEAM of Ocean and I have also signed the petition at the http://StudentAdvocate-NJ.org website.
All my parents in my group are concerned with this issue.
I have been very disappointed that parental input has not been solicited by the State. Parents of children in special education have valuable information that could help the cause of special education, possibly improving the schools for all students. Administrators often are the loudest, best organized groups. Many parents of special education students have jobs, homework and special needs. They don’t have time to go out and be heard. It would be wonderful if all parents could be surveyed. You need to hear from parents. One other important fact that I want to mention is that parents of children in special education are discouraged from organizing.
Confidentiality rules prevent us from sharing or discussing our successes or failures. Schools should help us in this process instead of segregating us into a separate class.
I’m not going over all my concerns because I imagine you have had enough letters to read so I will keep it short. One thing that really bothers me is the possibility of 3-year IEPs. What are you thinking? I don’t really believe the schools are doing a great job with the annual IEPs. I can’t imagine a system that would allow a child to stagnate with a 3-year IEP. We don’t need to warehouse our children. NCLB should strengthen us and IDEIA 2004 should not weaken us. An annual IEP also strengthens parents to meet their children’s needs and I believe you are very aware what a strong parent can do for a child, especially one with a disability.
The other issue I want to bring up is the discipline. Children with disabilities are often scapegoats. They are bullied. In New Jersey, especially in Ocean County, children with disabilities are viewed as having NO VALUE. So, keeping this fact in mind, how often do you think that children with disabilities get their true stories out. School staffs quite often are not aware of their own attitudes toward these children. There are many administrators that would love to wash their hands of these children and send them elsewhere. Keep this in mind and do right by our children by not changing the NJ law on this issue. Maintain the current law on manifestation determination.
Please maintain the requirements of short-term objectives.
Maintain the current law regarding the stay-put rule.
Please continue to formally begin transition at age 14. Transition is not happening properly in Ocean County. We need the extra 2 years. Do you really want to graduate or age-out students into the community without the skills they need to be independent adults? Many children will be independent with the proper educational goals.
Do not choose to spend IDEA funding on pre-classification. Districts are already saying that funding is a problem in getting special education students the services they require. To allocate this money to students not yet classified would be unfair.
Your consideration of these points is crucial to all special education students in New Jersey.
Very truly yours,
Julia Zindzius
BEAM of Ocean
CC: Acting Governor Richard Codey
Ask the Advocate
NJ Complaint Form (MS Word)
(PDF)
On Line Public Hearing on IDEIA 2004
Survey on NJ OSEP Complaint
Process
Past Activities
IEP Wkshp
Rec. Programs for
those w/ Disabilities
An Evening of Educational Advocacy
September 8, 2005 Edison, NJ
What The Student Advocate Has Done for Our Children
Lately . . .
NJ IDEIA 2004 Organizing Committee
Minutes of IDEIA 2004 meeting on Thu., May
26
Student Rights Radio
Discussion, October 31
Effort to
Reach Gubernatorial Hopefuls and Acting Governor / Candidates
IDEA: An Update
Dec. 5, 2005
Middletown
January 18,
2006: Hold a Candle Light for Our Children's Rights
50 Strong For Our
Children
No. Jersey Radio Interview Aired, 1/22
Petitioning for Rights Children: Legal in Princeton
Interview on NJ IDEIA Rights
- Racial Disparities in Sp-Ed
Call
is Heard in Montgomery Twp: Inclusive Recreation
NJSAU Minutes 2/18/2006
Playing and Singing for
Our Rights, 4/1/6
Better IDEA Laws for Special Education
Students?
Better IEPs? Anything is Possible!
April
1 Report: Student Advocacy Union - Fundraising Concert
Mobilization for Rights
of Our Children, May 17, 2006, Trenton
Nationwide Internet Radio Rally for Sp-Ed Parent Rights
9pm EST, Sat. May 20
Parents’ Rally @ Statehouse in Trenton Thursday, June 8, 2006
Piscataway Parents Mtg, June 19, 2006